Antique Japanese Katana, unsigned (mumei) — early-to-mid Edo period — ubu, an impressive near-2-shaku-4-sun blade with a bold midare hamon — in shirasaya with a finely worked silver habaki

Ubu, unsigned long katana in shinogi-zukuri · well-packed masame-hada with even ji-nie · broad, dynamic notare-and-gunome midare with ko-nie, ashi, yō, nijūba and sunagashi · fitted with a beautiful decorative silver habaki

An ubu (original-length), unsigned (mumei) long sword judged to date from the early-to-mid Edo period. Its powerful length, approaching 2 shaku 4 sun (about 72.7 cm), and its deep, boldly tempered midare edge give it overwhelming presence — a katana thoroughly worthy of appreciation and collection.

Workmanship and condition

The blade is freshly polished and, apart from a little faint age-rust here and there, remains in fine, essentially flawless condition. The jigane is a well-packed masame-hada (straight grain) through which orderly forging lines flow, showing a clear, clean skin; fine ji-nie gather evenly across it, lending real depth and a smooth, lustrous texture. The hamon is a broad, dynamic midare of wide temper — a notare mixed with gunome. Sparkling ko-nie lie firmly along the temper boundary, and the nioiguchi is bright and clear. Within the edge run fine ashi and yō, with passages of nijūba-like double lines and clear sunagashi activity — a superb piece that unites bold flamboyance with intricate points of interest. The bōshi turns in as a midare-komi and returns cleanly and neatly. The tang (nakago) is ubu — untouched by later hands — retaining its natural age patina and a firm peg-hole (mekugi-ana).

Form

A commanding blade with generous sori and mihaba and a crisply defined shinogi line, in beautiful shinogi-zukuri. Its near 2-shaku-4-sun length and well-retained kasane give it a solid, satisfying heft and a real sense of weight in the hand — the embodiment of the robust taste and refined functional beauty favored by the samurai of the early-to-mid Edo period.

The Habaki and Mounting

Setting off the blade is a silver decorative habaki (blade collar) of notably high craftsmanship and aesthetic sense. Its upper part is filled, without a gap, by a fine, regular granular pattern in the manner of nanako (fish-roe) punch-work, while the lower part is cut with sharp, orderly yasurime (file-mark) lines. The two contrasting textures — glossy and matte — play off one another beautifully, fusing classical metalwork technique with a refined, almost contemporary design sense. It tightens the presence of this long, robust blade from the base and further heightens its appeal. The sword is preserved in a plain wood shirasaya (resting scabbard).

Powerful yet possessed of delicate beauty, this is a highly rewarding piece that lets the viewer savor the full pleasure of sword appreciation — an excellent work, ready to enjoy exactly as it is.

This piece can also be mounted on a Uchigatana mount (for an additional fee). If you’d like this option, please indicate so in the comments section, and we’ll email you a PDF catalog of available mounting fittings.

Specifications

• Type: Katana (shinogi-zukuri)
• Signature (mei): unsigned (mumei), ubu (un-shortened) tang
• Certification: none
• Period: Early-to-mid Edo period (attributed)
• Jigane: well-packed masame-hada with even ji-nie; clear, deep skin
• Hamon: broad, dynamic notare mixed with gunome (midare), with ko-nie, bright nioiguchi, ashi, yō, nijūba-like lines and sunagashi
• Bōshi: midare-komi, turning back neatly
• Blade length (nagasa): 72.4 cm / 28.50 in (approaching 2 shaku 4 sun)
• Curvature (sori): 1.6 cm
• Width at base (motohaba): 32.5 mm
• Thickness at base (motokasane): 7.3 mm
• Width at tip (sakihaba): 22 mm
• Thickness at tip (sakikasane): 5.1 mm
• Weight (blade only): 790 g
• Condition: freshly polished; slight faint age-rust, otherwise essentially flawless and sound
• Mounting: shirasaya (plain wood resting scabbard) with a decorative silver habaki (nanako-style upper, yasurime lower)
• Torokushō (Japanese registration) No.: Gifu 36383