Nōshū Seki-jū Kanesada Katana
濃州関住兼貞　刀
Item TK065

Period: Eishō era (1504–1521)
Mei (Signature): Kanesada 兼貞
Designation: Tokubetsu Hozon
Nakago - Ubu - 1 Mekugi-Ana
Nagasa - 68.8cm
Sori: - 1.6cm
Motohaba - 3.1cm
Sakihaba - 2.2cm
Kissaki - 4.7cm
Motokasane - 0.65cm
Nakago length - 19.3cm

¥ 3,200,000

Nōshū Seki-jū Kanesada Katana — Hachiya-Seki Mino-den、Eishō era (1504–1521)

Kanesada (兼貞) was a Mino swordsmith associated with the Hachiya-Seki (蜂屋関) tradition, a group of smiths who worked at Hachiya, situated to the east of Seki in Mino Province, in present-day Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture. The lineage is traditionally traced to Daruma Masamitsu (達磨正光) of Yamashiro Province, whose descendants established themselves at Hachiya during the Muromachi period. For this reason, the group is also referred to as Hachiya Daruma (蜂屋達磨).

The Kanesada lineage at Hachiya began around the Bunmei era (1469–1487) in the middle Muromachi period.

Hachiya Kanesada enjoyed a strong reputation as a capable Mino smith. The Nihontōkō Jiten places him among the better craftsmen of the tradition, describing him as a fine smith following such prominent names as Kanemoto, Kanesada, and Kaneaki.

His surviving works also demonstrate the esteem in which these swords were held by the warrior class. One recorded katana by Kanesada was carried by Iinuma Kanpei (飯沼勘平), a retainer of Oda Hidenobu, the grandson of the great Sengoku warlord Oda Nobunaga and lord of Gifu Castle. Such provenance provides an interesting glimpse into the practical reputation enjoyed by Kanesada's swords during an age in which the effectiveness of a blade was of very real importance.

This particular blade is the work of the third-generation Hachiya Kanesada, active during the Eishō era (1504–1521) of the turbulent Sengoku period. Traditional sword references record this generation as a pupil of the first-generation Kanesada, and consequently as a fellow pupil of the celebrated Nosada (之定), one of the foremost Mino smiths of the Muromachi period. It is an especially appealing example of Sengoku-period Mino workmanship, retaining an ubu nakago with its original signature, and consequently preserving the blade's original length and overall form.

The blade measures 68.8 cm in nagasa and has an iori-mune with a high shinogi. Its sugata is purposeful and well proportioned, with a relatively broad mihaba at the base that maintains good width through the length of the blade before culminating in a gracefully extended chū-kissaki. Its comparatively practical length is entirely appropriate to the Sengoku period in which it was made, an era in which the sword was first and foremost a weapon intended for actual use.

Adding considerably to its character is the presence of tasteful horimono carved on both sides of the blade. Together with the overall quality of its construction, these carvings suggest that this was not simply an ordinary kazu-uchi mono (数打物) produced in quantity during the enormous wartime demand for swords, but rather a carefully made blade consistent with chūmon-uchi (注文打ち)—a sword produced to special order.

The jigane is particularly attractive and displays considerable variety within its forging. A tightly and finely worked ko-itame is interwoven with ko-mokume, while masame becomes apparent toward the shinogi-ji, a characteristic frequently associated with Mino-den workmanship. Despite the variety of grain, the steel remains controlled and finely forged, giving the surface considerable visual interest without appearing coarse.

Of particular interest is the appearance of Seki-utsuri (関映り) toward the shinogi-ji. This subtle phenomenon appears as a secondary transformation within the ji above the hardened edge and is associated with certain Seki and Mino works. Unlike the martensitic structure of the hardened cutting edge itself, utsuri represents a subtle metallurgical transformation produced during yaki-ire. Its successful appearance depends upon exceptionally sensitive control of the steel, clay application, temperature and cooling conditions, making clearly observable utsuri a fascinating feature of the blade.

The hamon begins relatively narrow at the yakidashi before gradually widening as it progresses along the blade, developing into a broad Hiro-suguha, with elements of ko-gunome and ko-choji at the upper portion of the blade. The Nioguchi is very bright and clear. Within the hardened edge are numerous ashi, accompanied by further subtle hataraki that reward close examination. Beyond their aesthetic appeal, ashi were traditionally understood to improve the structural integrity of the hardened edge, helping to create a stronger and more resilient cutting edge and thereby contributing to the blade's practical cutting performance.

Accompanying the blade is a particularly distinctive and highly individual Edo-period koshirae. Based on the style and workmanship of its fittings, the mounting appears to date from the later Edo period, and presents a remarkably cohesive combination of dragon and tiger imagery.

The fuchi-kashira are a matching set executed in carved (Katakiribori) Shibuichi, richly decorated with a dragon motif, complemented by dragon-themed menuki beneath the tsukamaki. The saya is further mounted with a matching kurikata and kojiri, creating a strong sense of continuity throughout the koshirae.

Especially unusual is the presence of a shibuichi tiger kanagu mounted prominently on the opposite side of the saya. The juxtaposition of the dragon and tiger is particularly evocative, the two being a celebrated pairing in East Asian art and symbolism, traditionally representing opposing yet complementary forces.

The saya itself is equally noteworthy. Finished in black lacquer, it employs a rare and elaborate form of kizami saya (刻み鞘) known as inrō sanjū-kizami (印籠三重刻), distinguished by its carefully formed repeating carved bands. This highly decorative treatment gives the saya considerable texture and visual depth, while further emphasizing the bespoke and unusually sophisticated character of the mounting.

The blade is also accompanied by a fresh Sayagaki by Tanobe-sensei.
Below is a translation of the Sayagaki:
Nōshū Seki-jū Kanesada

(Signed with the two-character signature “Kanesada.”)

Nōshū Seki-jū Kanesada is regarded as one of the foremost swordsmiths of the late Muromachi period. This blade is an excellent example of his craftsmanship. It displays a powerful yet dignified wide suguha, with the upper portion incorporating small gunome and ko-chōji elements, complemented by a finely forged ko-itame jihada. The hamon is based on suguha and is enriched with various subtle hataraki, while the nioiguchi is bright, clear, and vividly defined.

The blade as a whole possesses elegance and exceptional refinement, and is undoubtedly a work of superior quality. It would appear to have been made with due consideration for the style of the Rai school, exhibiting a dignity and distinction that may rightly be regarded as one of the finest expressions of the smith’s art.

Nagasa: Approximately 68.8 cm (2 shaku 2 sun 7 bu).

As a whole, this is a truly special Sengoku-period katana, combining an ubu, zaimei Kotō blade by the third-generation Hachiya Kanesada with the rare presence of utsuri in the Mino tradition, a highly distinctive late-Edo-period koshirae, and a sayagaki by Tanobe-sensei. The combination of its original signed condition, Sengoku-period workmanship, unusual metallurgical features, and exceptional period mountings makes this a particularly compelling and complete example of the Japanese sword.