Blade for a Long Sword (Katana) 刀かたな

Description

Japanese katana swords from the late 12th century onwards often had the swordsmith's name engraved on the tang. For reasons of practicality, though, the tang was sometimes ground down and shortened, with the original inscription lost in the process. From the 16th century onwards, the Hon'ami family of sword polishers and connoisseurs worked to identify the creators of Japanese swords with no inscriptions. Upon doing so, they would inscribe the swordsmith's name in gold inlay. The gold inlay here was produced at the start of the 17th century by Hon'ami Koshitsu, who identified this as a work by Rai Kunimitsu, a swordsmith active in Kyoto in the 14th century.

Rai Kunimitsu had a diverse style, but several characteristics of swords inscribed with his name are also on display here. A close look at the blade reveals an intricate texture resembling tree rings, for example. Also typical of Kunimitsu's swords is the way the tempering pattern along the cutting edge runs in a relatively straight line.

This blade was cut down from its original size to make it easier to use in close quarters, but this modification destroyed the maker’s signature on the tang. Centuries later, the master sword appraiser Hon’ami Kōshitsu (1583–1625) determined the maker and inscribed his name, Kunimitsu, in gold on the tang.