Modern Japanese Katana, signed "Aki-no-kuni Mikami Sadanao saku kore" (安藝國三上貞直作之), dated Heisei 28 (2016) — by the Mukansa master Mikami Sadanao

A masterwork of Sōden-Bizen by a Mukansa smith and 7th chairman of the All Japan Swordsmiths' Association — brilliant, dynamic hamon on a flawless, densely forged ground, brand-new in shirasaya with an NBSK new-sword certificate

Trained under the great master, the second-generation Gassan Sadaichi (a Living National Treasure), Mikami Sadanao (三上貞直) reigns over the contemporary sword world at its very summit, holding the highest rank a living smith can attain — mukansa (exhibition-exempt). The quiet passion burning beneath his composed manner is realized here in a beautiful, densely packed jigane and a bright, dynamically active temper line. Bearing the supreme technique of a smith who has revived countless masterpieces for the modern age, this is a superb work to be treasured for a lifetime.

On the smith — Sadanao (貞直)

His real name is Mikami Takanori (三上孝德). Born in 1955, he entered the workshop of the Living National Treasure, the second-generation Gassan Sadaichi (then active in Nara), in 1974 at the age of nineteen. He received his swordsmith certification in 1980 and established the Mikami Sadanao Japanese Sword Forging Dōjō in Kita-Hiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. From 1981 he won a host of awards at the Shinsaku Meitō-ten (New Masterpiece Sword Exhibition) — including the Takamatsu-no-miya Prize (twice) and the Agency for Cultural Affairs Commissioner's Prize (twice) — and in 1995 he was recognized as a Mukansa smith, the highest rank in the modern sword world. Designated a Holder of Hiroshima Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property and a Japanese Sword Master Craftsman, in 2013 he became the 7th chairman of the All Japan Swordsmiths' Association, succeeding Yoshihara Kuniie. Highly esteemed for his restorations and faithful copies (utsushi) of National Treasure and famous blades, he is one of the representative master smiths of our time, particularly renowned for his Sōden-Bizen workmanship — the Bizen tradition enriched with elements of the Sōshū school.

Selected career highlights:

• 1974 — Entered the workshop of the Living National Treasure, 2nd-generation Gassan Sadaichi, at age 19
• 1980 — Received swordsmith certification; opened the Mikami Sadanao Sword Forging Dōjō
• 1981 — First entry to the Shinsaku Meitō-ten (to 1995: 7 special prizes, 4 awards, 4 selections)
• 1989 — Took part in the restoration of the famed spear "Nihongō" for the 400th anniversary of Hiroshima Castle
• 1995 — Recognized as a Mukansa (exhibition-exempt) master smith
• 2005 — Helped launch the All Japan Swordsmiths' Association's 1st Omamori-gatana Exhibition; participated in the Murakumo-kai Paris exhibition
• 2006 — Designated a Holder of Hiroshima Prefecture Intangible Cultural Property
• 2011 — Hiroshima Cultural Prize; Hiroshima Prefecture Regional Culture Contributor Award
• 2013 — Became the 7th chairman of the All Japan Swordsmiths' Association

Workmanship and condition

The jigane is extremely healthy and exquisite — an intensely packed ko-itame (small wood-grain) ground. Forged through painstaking folding, the steel shows a deep, blackish luster and is thickly covered all over with microscopic ji-nie. Within its crystal-clear texture it holds a quiet depth and dignity, letting one fully savor the crispness of modern master technique. Over it is tempered a dynamic gunome-style midare that draws bold, undulating waves of pronounced peaks and valleys. The nioiguchi is deep, bright and clear; the interior of the hamon carries fine ko-ashi, with faint sunagashi and kinsuji weaving through to create a three-dimensional landscape. The bōshi tempers in an irregular pattern (midare-komi) and turns back deeply in a ko-maru, beautifully tightening the whole elegant figure. The blade is brand-new, as-made, with no flaws or rust of any kind.

Form

A full-length, powerful katana of shinogi-zukuri form, with a broad base, ample thickness, and a healthy tip. At 73.2 cm of edge with a graceful 1.7 cm curvature, it has the confident, dignified presence of a first-class modern blade.

The mounting (shirasaya)

The blade is preserved in a plain honoki-wood shirasaya (resting scabbard), the traditional way of keeping a fine sword in ideal condition and letting its steel and temper line be appreciated without distraction.

In short, this is a flawless, freshly forged Sōden-Bizen masterwork by one of the great mukansa masters of our time — a densely forged ground, a brilliant and dynamic hamon, and the authority of a smith who leads the modern sword world. A supreme collection piece to be cherished for a lifetime.

Specifications

• Type: Katana (刀), shinogi-zukuri
• Smith: Mikami Sadanao (三上貞直), Mukansa; Aki Province (Hiroshima)
• Signature (mei): Omote — "Aki-no-kuni Mikami Sadanao kore o tsukuru" (安藝國三上貞直作之); Ura — "Heisei nijūhachinen nagatsuki kichijitsu" (平成二十八年長月吉日 / an auspicious day in the 9th month, Heisei 28 = 2016)
• Jigane: Extremely dense, healthy and refined ko-itame with abundant ji-nie and a deep luster
• Hamon: Dynamic gunome-style midare of bold peaks and valleys; deep, bright nioiguchi with ko-ashi, faint sunagashi and kinsuji; midare-komi bōshi with ko-maru return
• Length of edge (nagasa): 73.2 cm (approx. 28.82 in / approx. 2 shaku 4 sun 2 bu)
• Curvature (sori): 1.7 cm (approx. 0.67 in)
• Width at base (motohaba): 34.2 mm (approx. 1.35 in)
• Thickness at base (motokasane): 7.0 mm (approx. 0.28 in)
• Width at tip (sakihaba): 26.5 mm (approx. 1.04 in)
• Thickness at tip (sakikasane): 5.4 mm (approx. 0.21 in)
• Peg holes (mekugi-ana): 1
• Weight (blade only): 833 g
• Condition: Brand-new, as-made; no flaws or rust
• Mounting: Shirasaya (plain honoki wood)
• Certification: NBSK (Nihontō Bunka Shinkō Kyōkai) new-sword certificate (shinsakutō shōmeisho)
• Registration No.: Hiroshima No. 62937 (広島 第62937号)