Katana – Mihara School – Mumei (??) – Muromachi / Sengoku Period
This katana is an impressive and powerful example of Mihara-school workmanship, dating from the Muromachi to the Sengoku period. The blade is thick, heavy and retains a strong presence despite having been shortened twice. During the Sengoku era, uchigatana with blade lengths around 60–65 cm were widely used, making it highly likely that the shortening took place during that time. The workmanship follows the Yamashiro tradition, which was strongly influential in the Mihara lineage.
The current assessment, which may be subject to refinement, identifies a chu-suguha hamon. The blade is osuriage, and the yasurime patterns differ on each side: kiri on the ura and sujikai on the omote, suggesting that the file marks may not be original to the smith. Due to the suriage, no yakiba remains visible on the nakago. The habaki is particularly striking, crafted from shakud? with a folded foil surface and decorated in katakiri-bori with a cloud-dragon motif. Lacquer residue (urushi) is still present, likely originating from the former saya.
The hada consists of itame mixed with mokume, typical for Mihara workmanship. The boshi is in ko-marusagari style with a long kaeri, reflecting Yamashiro influence and pointing toward the late Muromachi or Sengoku period. Subtle sunagashi is visible as part of the hataraki. The nakagojiri is kiri, a style often seen on suriage uchigatana. Minor flaws are present along the cutting edge, mainly as small surface imperfections in the polish.
Overall, the blade is consistent with a koto-era Mihara school attribution.
Blade Specifications
The nagasa measures 65.6 cm, with a total blade length of 83.5 cm. The sori is 15 mm. The motohaba is 28.6 mm, and the sakihaba is 19.9 mm. The blade weighs 653 g, and the total assembled weight is 1047 g. The nakago measures 18.0 cm in length and contains three mekugi-ana, confirming o-suriage.
The estimated era corresponds to the Sengoku period within the broader Muromachi era.
Documentation
No certificate accompanies the blade, but it includes a copy of Japanese registration number 073850.
Included
Shirasaya, a well-crafted habaki, and an estimation paper.
