Question about my Katana

[Seminara]

Hello, I've had this Katana for many years but know nothing about it.  Could anyone offer some information please?

[Geraint]

Dear Anthony.

 

Please see the coments on the tsuba in the other thread but please heed the advice about not cleaning anything.  Stone is not your friend, please only rest on cloth or wood to avoid damage.  From what we can see so far your sword appears to have been shortened as the nakago/tang is not the original shape and has threee mekugi ana/holes in it.  To tell you more we could do with seeing overall photographs of the bare blade rather like the example here, https://www.aoijapan.com/katana：-mumei-unsigned-harima-daijo-shigetakanbthk-hozon-token/

 

The menuki/hilt ornaments are of bows and quivers, the fuchi kashira/hilt fittings seem to be of bats, are they iron?

 

To confirm that it is a katana measure from the kissaki/tip to the mune machi/ notch on the back of the blade.

 

Look ofrwaerd to seeing more photographs and for now just keep the blade, not the nakago/tang lightly oiled unti we can point you in the direction of more help.

 

All the best.

[Seminara]

20 hours ago, Geraint said:

Dear Anthony.

 

Please see the coments on the tsuba in the other thread but please heed the advice about not cleaning anything.  Stone is not your friend, please only rest on cloth or wood to avoid damage.  From what we can see so far your sword appears to have been shortened as the nakago/tang is not the original shape and has threee mekugi ana/holes in it.  To tell you more we could do with seeing overall photographs of the bare blade rather like the example here, https://www.aoijapan.com/katana：-mumei-unsigned-harima-daijo-shigetakanbthk-hozon-token/

 

The menuki/hilt ornaments are of bows and quivers, the fuchi kashira/hilt fittings seem to be of bats, are they iron?

 

To confirm that it is a katana measure from the kissaki/tip to the mune machi/ notch on the back of the blade.

 

Look ofrwaerd to seeing more photographs and for now just keep the blade, not the nakago/tang lightly oiled unti we can point you in the direction of more help.

 

All the best.

Hello again, and again thanks for your knowledgeable feedback - I'm loving this site!    I will follow up with some better quality images from here:

[Seminara]

[Seminara]

[Nihonto student]

Dear Antony,

 

based on the measurements, I confirm you that this is a katana. Given the condition of the blade, it is impossible to attribute it to a specific school or smith. Regarding the period, despite the worn yokote, the tip appears to me to be ō-kissaki (large point). Considering that is *ō-suriage* (significantly shortened), I would lean towards dating it to the late Muromachi era (1550–1600); however, this is merely an opinion based on limited information, and other users might offer further insights. In any case, I believe it is worth having it examined by an expert, there could be some potential.

 

All the best

 

Giordy