Fujiwara Kanesada III

A Mino katana in mounts
Muromachi period (1333-1573), 16th century

A Mino katana in mounts
Muromachi period (1333-1573), 16th century
Sugata (configuration): honzukuri, iorimune, slightly extended kissaki and toriizori configuration
Kitae (forging pattern): itame hada in jinie
Hamon (tempering pattern): gunome-choji midare with nie, ashi, yo, utsuri, hotsure and tobiyaki
Boshi (tip): midarekomi
Horimono (carving): omote side: bohi, ura side bohi ni tsurebi
Nakago (tang): o-suriage with later file marks, four holes, signed Kanesada
Habaki (collar): one-piece silver-foil
Nagasa (length from tip to beginning of tang): 26 1/8in (66.3cm)
Motohaba (width at start of tempered edge): 1 1/4in (3.2cm)
Sakihaba (width before tip): 7/8in (2.cm)
Koshira-e (mounts): black-lacquer ishime saya, the area around the koiguchi finished in black lacquer in finer ribs, fitted with a silver kojiri carved with diagonal striations, the tsuka wrapped in lacquered leather over same and fitted with iron mokumeji fuchi-gashira decorated with matsukawabishi (pine-bark lozenges) in gold and silver nunome-zogan, the gold menuki formed as butterflies, the iron diamond-shaped tsuba decorated with plovers over fishing nets in kebori and sukashibori, signed Omi no ju Masayoshi
With kantei certificate no. 1 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword), dated October 30, 1951
With a type-written letter from a previous owner describing the sword as an heirloom blade of the Ahari family

Fujuwara Kanesada III, is known as "Hiki Kanesada" based on the fact that the manner in which he wrote the sada (定) character in his signature resembled the character hiki (疋).