NihontoWatchOrdering Number: AS25113Katana in Koshirae (NBTHK Hozon Token).Signature: Mumei(Unsigned) (Kai-Mihara).無銘(貝三原)(We divide 4 sections for each sword as Saijyo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku and Regular Saku).This blade is ranked as Jyo Saku among works attributed to Mumei (Kai-Mihara).Habaki: Silver-plated single Habaki.Blade Length: 64.0 cm (25.20 in).Curvature: 1.2 cm (0.47 in).Mekugi Hole: 1.Width at Base (Motohaba): 3.04 cm (1.20 in).Width at Yokote: 1.88 cm (0.74 in).Thickness of rim (Kasane): 0.60 cm (0.24 in).Sword Weight: 605 grams.Era: Late Muromachi Period.Shape: Katana with slightly wide mihaba, somewhat thick kasane, and standard curvature.Jigane: Exhibits well-developed utsuri activities.Hamon: Nie-deki suguha with double-edged activities, while the boshi displays triple-edged activities.Features: Kai-Mihara was a branch of the Mihara swordsmiths of Bingo Province.Its founder was Masakiyo (1345), and the school continued through the Muromachi Period, remaining active until around the Tenmon era (1532-1555).Koshirae:Tsuba: Round iron tsuba decorated with cherry blossoms in gold nunome-zogan inlay.Fuchi: Shakudo ground with diamond-shaped designs.Kashira: Carved with decorative patterns.Saya (Scabbard): Black carved scabbard.The saya (scabbard) is of iriko-style construction.The highly skilled and meticulous workmanship is clearly evident.Menuki: Shakudo ground with decorative motifs highlighted in gold-colored accents.Kozuka: Shakudo nanako ground carved with a nehiki-matsu (dragging pine) design and decorated with gold-colored highlights.Aoi Art’s Comment: This is a well-made sword attributed to Kai-Mihara.NBTHK Hozon Token.AoiArt estimation paper: Whole Oshigata.Overseas shipping fee is not included.Please note: the price does not include the shipping fees.Auction Starting Price:500,000JPYPlace BidRelated Items:Katana:Mumei (attributed to Den Hosho).(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Katana: Mumei (transmitted as Masamune )(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Katana:Mume
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Yamato-den · Bingo
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The Mihara school arose in Bingo Province during the late Kamakura period and maintained continuous production through the end of the Muromachi period. The region's ancient reputation as a center for iron goods—documented as early as Engi 14 (914) in the Seiji Yōryaku—provided the technical foundation for this sustained tradition. Because Bingo contained numerous landed estates (shōen) belonging to major Kinai temples and shrines such as Tōji and Rengeō-in (Sanjūsangendō), the smiths working at Mihara engaged in regular interchange with the central provinces. This geographical and economic relationship accounts for the pronounced Yamato temperament observable throughout the school's output. The term "Ko-Mihara" (Early Mihara) designates works produced from the late Kamakura through the Nanbokuchō period, with Masaie and Masahiro recognized as the lineage's most accomplished masters. Ko-Mihara workmanship reveals a distinctive fusion of Yamato influence and regional character. The forging typically exhibits itame-hada mixed with conspicuous mokume and flowing grain (nagare), often with a tendency for the texture to stand (hada-dachi). Fine ji-nie adheres throughout the steel surface, and a characteristic whitish cast (shirake-utsuri) appears prominently—a feature repeatedly cited in appraisals as diagnostic of the school. The tempering follows Yamato convention in emphasizing suguha, but the nioiguchi tends toward tightness (shimarigokoro) with well-adhering ko-nie rather than the more vigorous nie activity seen in Yamato proper.
Along the hardened edge, smiths frequently introduced hotsure, uchi-noke, and subtle kuichigai-ba effects, while the nioiguchi often exhibits a subdued (shizumi) quality. The bōshi typically runs straight and turns back gently in ko-maru or rounded (maru) form, concluding with fine hakikake at the tip—a restrained finish characteristic of the school. Nanbokuchō-period examples display the era's monumental aesthetic: wide mihaba with minimal taper from base to tip, shallow curvature, high shinogi, and extended chū-kissaki or ō-kissaki, creating a dignified and powerfully robust form. The school's output demonstrates how peripheral traditions absorbed and transformed influences from established centers while maintaining regional identity. Ko-Mihara blades occupy a position intermediate between the vigorous nie-work of Yamato proper and the more subdued aesthetic preferences of western Japan. This balance—robust construction paired with restrained tempering, standing grain texture combined with tight nioiguchi, and Yamato-derived suguha inflected with local characteristics—defines the school's technical achievement. The whitish forging, conspicuous mokume, and gentle bōshi became recognized signatures that distinguished Mihara work from its Yamato models. Through four centuries of continuous production, the smiths of Mihara maintained technical standards sufficient to supply both local demand and broader military markets, their works preserving a coherent school identity across generational transmission. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Nobumori信守 | 987-1596 | 0 |
| Sadakuni貞國 | 1441-1444 | 0 |
| Nobutsugu信次 | 1444-1449 | 0 |
| Nobuie信家 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
| Tomotsugu朝次 | 1394-1428 | 0 |
Yamato in the Muromachi period
The monasteries that had sustained Yamato lost ground through the Muromachi period, and the schools thinned with them; Sue-Tegai kept the old masame manner alive in quantity. The burning of Tōdaiji’s Great Buddha hall in 1567 closed the temple age.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
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