UK Sword Reg No. 106

Type: Shinto katana

Nagasa:   Approx 67.0 cm      Moto-haba: 2.9 cm     Saki-haba: 2.1 cm

Sugata:           Hon-zukuri, iori-mune, shallow zori and chu-kissaki

Jihada:            A tight itame-mokume hada

Hamon:           An exuberant choji-gunome midare in ko-nie deki, reaching the shinogi in places. Occasional tobi-yaki and some yo and shallow ashi.

Nakago:          Suriage and machi-okuri with 2 mekugi-ana, barely visible yasurime that appear as katte-sagari. Signed on the sashi-ura ECHIZEN JU and on the sashi-omote HOKI (no) KAMI FUJIWARA HIROTAKA.

Although there have been considerable alterations to the nakago on this sword, the sugata remains distinctly that of the so-called Kanbun-shinto sugata (Kanbun era, 1661-72). That is to say that the sword tapers to a quite small chu-kissaki and has a very shallow zori. The nakago has uneven patination and rusting, which is probably due to the extensive alterations having been made at various times. The exuberant hamon is in ko-nie-deki and although basically gunome-choji-midare, there are many irregular shapes. The occasional tobiyaki give the impression of having broken away from the main body of the hamon.

Hirotaka was part of the so-called Echizen Shimohara Ha and Fujishiro states first he had the title of Hoki (no) Daijo and later the Hoki (no) Kami as in the present example. He further states that his work is similar to that of Harima Daijo Shigetaka and we know that these smiths co-operated in gassaku work (see Sword Reg 105 on Shigetaka for more on this)

His working date, according to Fujishiro is Meireki period (1655-57) and he rates Hirotaka as wazamono and  Chujosaku.

Echizen ju Hoki (no) Kami Fujiwara Hirotaka

Clive Sinclaire

Bexley, Kent UK

July 2010