Kanemichi Saku- 兼道作

Kanemichi Saku- 兼道作 Koto End of Muromachi period (Eiroku era about 450 years ago) Mino Sugata(configuration) : Hira-zukuri, Iori-mune. Long tanto. There is a slight sakizori curve and fukura (upper cutting edge) is prominent. The entire blade is heroically made and stout. There is chiselled half way bo-hi grooves on both sides. Kitae(forging pattern) : Kitae-hada is conspicuous itame hada mixed in with large mokume, entwined flowing masame hada. The surface is covered in with sparkling Ji-Nie activity that generates thick Nie lines of Chikei scene over the surface. Hamon(tempering pattern) : Hamon is Ko-nie based gunome-midare of which head is round and waist is narrow adding some tobiyaki temper spot marks here and there. Thick nie feet works toward the cutting edge. The interior of temper is filled in deep Nioi and Sunagashi blushing activity works frequently. Boshi (tip): The temper of the tip waves into medium circle then turns back deeply so called JIZOU shape. Nakago(tang): UBU un-altered, cross over (Higaki) filemarks and round kurijiri heel. One mekugi-ana. The signature in hakiomote is located in center, thick chiselled three character that reads Kane Michi Saku. This is a work of smith KANEMICHI who named himself as the 9th generation Shizu Saburo KANEUJI. As seen from the subject blade, its workmanship, especially forging method shows Sōshu school technique although his own home Mino school favor can be seen from it temper pattern. He enjoyed Saemon-no-jo and Mutsuno-kami title in 1596 (12 th year of Eiroku) and changed his name O-Kanemichi or Mutsunokami Daido. His eldest son Iganokami Kinmichi established a Mishina school in Kyoto and flourished throughout Edo period holding a special privilege to nominate the title of sword smiths on behalf of imperial family. Also, his second son Rai-Kinmichi, third son Tanbanokami Yoshimichi and Fourth son Echunokami Masatoshi, all of them had become top famed and admired sword smiths. This wakizashi or identified as an extra sized tanto (Sun-nobi Tanto) was possibly made in earlier year of Eiroku period and its forging technique is true Itame under Sōshu school favour and frequent Nie lines Sunagashi shows the initial stage of SUDARE-ha workmanship (like a scnene of Bamboo Blind). An exceptional sword mount, showing nothing of the austere taste of Japan’s upper class. It is instead probably made for a wealthy merchant with eccentric taste. The sword comes in a beautiful hand carved wooden presentation koshirae from the Edo period. Carved in the form of RYU (dragon)s carved in low and high relief. The hand-crafted mount carved of mystical Japanese spiraling dragons adorn the beautiful koshirae from head to the tail are extremely detailed. From the long flowing whiskers to the majestic horns with rolling clouds with twisting scales makes a beautiful art work. The undercut Japanese Seigaiha wave pattern with golden highlights match the kozuka (knife) on side of saya, it is a faux carved wooden accent with seigaiha wave pattern with golden accents. The swords tsuba (guard) being carved of buffalo horn with leaves and floral adornments along with the saya are signed by the maker Yoshi Varna- . The Japanese dragon can take different forms and shapes, but generally, it stands for wisdom, strength, valor, protection, rebirth, good luck, and prosperity. Japanese dragons typically only have three claws, a sub-dragon in China. In Japanese culture, the number four is considered unlucky since it is correlated with and pronounced similarly to the word for death - shi. The Japanese dragon is aesthetically beautiful sometimes carved into a simple wooden piece of the handle, a departure from the more common ray skin wrapping, large metal guards, and pommels. This sword shows a male dragon on the tsuka and a female dragon kojiri end of the saya. NTHK (Tanto & Koshirae each)