New pieces 1 of 3: Ko-mihara O-suriage Katana

[cju777]

Hello all, acquired a few pieces over the past year's mix of COVID lock-downs and while eagerly waiting for the latest to arrive thought I would start a few threads to share the blades with fellow members and provide some more searchable examples of these smiths for the NMB. Also maybe start some discussion if anyone sees anything interesting.

 

The first is a papered NBTHK TH to Ko-Mihara with a sayagaki from Tanobe Sensei. Photos are courtesy of @Ray Singer and will get an in-hand update/photos once it arrives hopefully this week… delayed due to an issue at the DPO transit point . Without a full translation yet but looks like Tanobe-sensei commented that it a representative example of the sword, dates to Nanbokucho jidai, is osuriage mumei, and yuhin (exceptional work). I had been on the lookout for a blade in this style with some helpful advice and comments on other pieces from @paulb

  .

    nagasa: 66.3cm

    moto-haba: 28mm

    saki-haba: 18mm

    kasane: 6.5mm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next two pieces to be posted await post-COVID shinsa but have other attributions that might spur some debate.

[Mister Gunto]

Beautiful blade Chris! Congrats!

[NewB]

Nicely polished/preserved boshi. Wish to see more of the hada. Cheers.

 

 

John

[cju777]

38 minutes ago, Darkcon said:

Nicely polished/preserved boshi. Wish to see more of the hada. Cheers.

 

 

John

 

Thanks John, I'll take some once it gets here.

[Vermithrax16]

Thanks for sharing. Very good sword, as of late we don't get to see many.

[John A Stuart]

The boshi is hard to see, maybe you could tell me; does it have any kaeri. A feature is a rather long kaeri for Yamato Mihara blades. Not a law as I have ore that is fairly short frrom an omaru boshi. The chu-suguba is an attractive feature to me. John

[Ray Singer]

16 hours ago, John A Stuart said:

The boshi is hard to see, maybe you could tell me; does it have any kaeri. A feature is a rather long kaeri for Yamato Mihara blades. Not a law as I have ore that is fairly short frrom an omaru boshi. The chu-suguba is an attractive feature to me. John

 

Hi John, I am sharing a photo of the boshi here. There is a short kaeri which ends just short of the shinogi. 

[Ray Singer]

On 4/26/2021 at 5:49 AM, cju777 said:

The first is a papered NBTHK TH to Ko-Mihara with a sayagaki from Tanobe Sensei.

 

I am overdue to share a translation of the sayagaki and still have some gaps below.

 

備後國古三原
Bingo (no) kuni Ko-Mihara

 

大磨上無銘也
o-suriage mumei nari

 

白氣映ノ立ッ板目ノ肌合ﾆ匂口ノ[ _ ]マル小沸来ノ直刃ヲ焼キ [ 沺カニホッレ] ガ洛彡
shirake no tatsu o itame no hada-ai ni nioiguchi no [ _ ] maru ko-nie-deki no suguha o yaki [ ___ ]  ga marami

 

帽子ガ丸ノ [掃掛] クテ [ _ _ ] ク 返ルナド  
boshi ga maru no [ _ _ ] ku te [ _ _ ] ku kaeru nado

 

南北朝期ノ同派ノ特色ヲ示ス優品也
Nanbokuchō-ki no dōkō no tokushoku o shimesu yuhin nari

 

 

[cju777]

Ko-mihara arrived! Not as flashy as the other two threads but uch harder to get in photographs how nuanced all the detail in the steel is.

 

@Darkcon some attempts at the hada... I did not have my better iPhone camera handy. @John A Stuart another boshi shot for you as well.

 

Will try again in better lighting, these do not do it justice.

 

 

 

 

[cju777]

Update on the sayagaki, thanks to the translations forum:

 

備後國古三原
Bingo kuni Ko-Mihara

Ko-Mihara of Bingo

 

 

大磨上無銘也
Ō-suriage mumei nari

Cut shortened, without signature, this blade

 

 

白氣映ノ立ツ板目ノ肌合ニ匂口ノ締マル小沸出来ノ直刃ヲ焼キ細カ ニ ホッレ ガ絡ミ
Shirakeutsuri-no-tatsu itame no hada-ai ni nioiguchi no shimaru ko-nie-deki no suguha wo yaki komaka ni hotsure ga karami

hada of standing/straight itame of white haze?, straight hamon of narrow small nie deki of nioi-guchi, small spots entwined throughout

 

 

帽子ガ丸ク掃掛ケテ稍深ク返ルナド  
Boshi ga maruku hakikakete yaya fukaku kaeru nado

Boshi round, broom swept portions, somewhat deep turnback

 

 

南北朝期ノ同派ノ特色ヲ示ス優品也
Nanbokuchō-ki no dōha no tokushoku o shimesu yuhin nari

Nanbokucho era features of this group, shows superior/well-made, this blade

 

 

長さ弐尺壱寸九分弱

Nagasa 2 shaku 1 sun 9 bu jaku

Length 2 shaku 1 sun 9 bu

 

 

時(时)在己亥暦霜月

Jizai Kigai Shimotsuki

Dated 2019 November