Yamato Shikkake Katana
The 11th Juyo Token
SCHOOL Yamato Shikkake
PAPER/CLASSIFICATION NBTHK Juyo Token, 11th Session, 1963
PERIOD Nanbokucho Jidai (1333-1392)
MEI Mumei  
FORM Katana
NAGASA 68.9cm 27.13inches
SUGATA  Shinogi-zukuri
SORI Shallow tori-zori
SORI MEASUREMENT 1.4cm
KISSAKI Elongated chu-kissaki
KISSAKI LENGTH 4.5cm
MUNE Iori
KASANE 6mm
MOTOHABA 3.2 cm
SAKIHABA 2.3 cm
NAKAGO LENGTH 20.9cm
NAKAGO CONDITION O-Suriage
NAKAGO SHAPE Standard with kiri-jiri 
MEKUGIANA 3
YASURIME  Katte sagari



About this sword :   The Yamato tradition of sword making consists of the Senjuin, Taima, Tegai, Hosho and Shikkake schools. These are the 5 ryu ha that represent the origins of Yamato den in its purest form. The Yamato smiths were retained by the warrior monks of the golden age of Nihonto. Their products were made solely for the serious business of war. The high shinogi and wide shinogi-haba combined with O-itame jigane becoming running masame in the ha of this katana is unmistakably representative of Shikkake. In addition to this, the blade shows all of the textbook features of the Shikkake mon as noted below in the Juyo Token To Zufu.






This blade was published in the 11th Juyo Token To Zufu. The following is a translation of the text :

Designated on November 15 Showa 38
The 11th Juyo Token


Katana - O-suriage mumei - Shikkake - one item - Owner's name

Horyo:
Nagasa: 2 shaku 2 sun 7 bu 5 ri (68.9cm) (27.13")
Sori: 4 bu 5 ri (1.4cm) (0.55")
Motohaba: 1 sun 5 ri (3.2cm) (1.26")
Sakihaba: 7 bu 6 ri (2.3cm) (0.91")
Kissaki nagasa: 1 sun 5 bu (4.5cm) (1.77")
Nakaga nagasa: 6 sun 9 bu (20.9cm) (8.23")
Nakaga sori: slight

Keijo : Shinogi-zukuri, iroi-mune, o-suriage with shallow sori, elongated chu-kissaki

Kitae : O-itame, there are running masame close to the ha, overall ji-gane is hada-tachi, ji-nie present

Hamon : Suguha based with shallow midare, ko-midare and gunome mixed in, ko-ashi, yo, nioi-guchi is tight and covered with ko-nie, lower part of the hamon has nijuba

Boshi : Slight midare-komi, omote has swept hakikake and nijuba, ura side has pointed tip and hakikake, both omote and ura sides have kinsuji

Nakago : O-suriage, sori is shallow with kuri jiri, yasurime katte sagari, three mekugi-ana, mumei

Explanation : O-suriage attributed to Yamato Shikkake and the attribution is with absolute certainty. This is a work of the Nanbokucho ji-dai. The ji-ha shows strong Yamato characteristics. Shikkake works are few in number. The overall ji-ha is healthy and complete. The ji-gane has excellent quality.

$35,000





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