| Product No. WA-0860 国包 | |
|---|---|
| Mei |
Kunikane Back: -- |
| Shape | Shiongizukuri Iorimune |
| Region | Sendai, Mutsu Province |
| Era | Early Edo Period |
| Length |
54.1 cm 21.3 in |
| Sori (curvature) |
1.4 cm 0.6 in |
| Motohaba |
3.2 cm 1.2 in |
| Sakihaba |
2.1 cm 0.8 in |
| Munekasane |
0.6 cm 0.2 in |
| Status | Tokubetsu Hozon Token |
| Certification Date | August 22, 2025 |
| Registration Authority | Fukushima Prefecture |
| Registration Date | September 01, 1965 |
| Jihada (Metal pattern) | Masame |
| Hamon (Temper line) | Chu-suguha with long kinsuji, hotsure, kuichigai |
| Bōshi (Point / Tip) | Sugu yakizume |
| Nakago (Tang) | Ubu, Kattesagari file and a kurijir end |
| Mekugiana (Rivet holes) | 1 |
| Habaki | Copper base gold foil with Yujo file habaki |
| Mountings | Koshirae-tsuki |
| Koshirae | Chiisa-katana koshirae with a black roiro-lacquered saya, designated Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu. |
| Koshirae Length |
76.0 cm 29.9 in |
| Tsuka Length |
17.0 cm 6.7 in |
| Tsuba | Paulownia Crests, Mei:Tokakusai Yoshitoshi（with Kao） |
| Menuki | Twin Paulownia Crest |
| Fuchigashira | Paulownia Crests, Mei:Tokakusai Yoshitoshi（with Kao） |
| Kozuka | Three Pairs of Paulownia Crests, Mei:Tokakusai Yoshitoshi（with Kao） |
| Kogai | Twin Paulownia Crest, Mei:Tokakusai Yoshitoshi（with Kao） |
| Other details | Tsuka (hilt): White samegawa, wrapped in black silk katatsumami-maki style |
Price |
2,500,000 JPY |
| This sword bears the two-character signature Kunikane and is attributed to the second-generation Yamashiro no Kami Kunikane.The second generation was born in Keichō 17 (1612) as the eldest son of the first-generation Kunikane. He succeeded as the second head of the school at the age of 34 in Shōhō 2 (1645), and in Kanbun 7 (1667) he was granted the title Yamashiro no Kami, a higher court rank than that held by his father. He passed away in Kanbun 12 (1672) at the age of 61.Like the first generation, he excelled in suguha hamon; however, compared to his father’s work, the hamon displays stronger nie, a wider yakiba, and a subtly undulating suguha. Portions of the hamon show nie splitting like whiskers, extending into the blade, together with sunagashi-like horizontal activity within the hamon.The masame jihada is well aligned, though slightly coarser than that of the first generation, making the masame structure more clearly apparent.A distinctive feature of the signature can be seen in the character “包”, where the inner element “己” appears visually divided into the character ni (二) and the character otsu (乙). This blade is regarded as an early work of the second-generation Yamashiro no Kami Kunikane, identifiable by the way the left side of the kuni radical is cut as “王”. The workmanship is of such high quality that it can easily be mistaken for that of the first generation.The blade was awarded NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token status in 2025.The accompanying koshirae, made specifically for this Kunikane wakizashi, is an elegant mounting commissioned by a samurai family bearing the kiri crest, featuring fully gilt fittings with a scattered kiri-mon design. The fittings were made by the metalsmith Tōkakusai Yoshitoshi (東隺斎義寿), a disciple of Tanaka Kiyotoshi (田中清寿), and were designated NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu in 2023.Both the blade and its koshirae are exceptionally rare and highly desirable works. |
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