This is a lovely Koto period wakizashi from the Genki or Tensho era (1570-1573). The signature reads Seki Zensho Kaneyoshi. This is a line of Mino smiths that originated around 1389 and flourished in Mino until the late 1600s. This smith would have been active around the time of Hideyoshi and Nobunaga and was probably the 4th or 5th generation of this line. This wakizashi is a wide and very healthy blade. It has a cutting edge of 15.25 inches or 38.8 cm. The moto-haba is 1.35 inches or 3.44 cm and the saki haba is 1.09 inches or 2.76 cm. It is hira-zukuri in shape. The hada is a beautiful itame mixed with areas of mokume. The hamon is a hoso-suguha (wide suguha) with one area of togari-ba as one would expect from a Mino blade. The habuchi is nie deki with profuse nie covering this area. The boshi is a ko-maru shape with a relatively short turn-back. It comes in a fresh shirasaya with a silver and gold wash two-piece habaki.
This sword was just awarded NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers that attest to its quality and condition.
PRICE: $5,000.00
