For those who deeply cherish Japanese swords, we are proud to present this exceptionally well-preserved Katana from the Koto period. The blade is beautifully polished throughout, in such superb condition it's hard to believe it dates from the Koto era, showing no flaws such as forging imperfections or rust. The jigane exhibits a itame grain pattern with vividly active chikei. The hamon displays the hoso-suguha pattern typical of the Koto period, revealing ko-gunome in places when held to the light. The entire hamon is characterized by nitedeki, giving it a very refined appearance. This blade was originally approximately 85 centimeters long; it has suriage (polishing) applied, and it is presumed that the section where the signature was engraved was cut off. In December 2015, the Nihon Token Hozonkai(NTHK) authenticated this blade as a genuine work by Kanekiyo of the Yamato-Tegai school, active during the Koto period, and issued a certificate of appraisal. The Yamato Tegai school was a group residing outside the western main gate of Todaiji Temple in Nara Prefecture. Founded by Kanenaga in the late Kamakura period, it was the most prosperous of the five Yamato Den schools, with its techniques passed down through seven generations until the late Muromachi period. The first-generation Kanekiyo is said to be the son of the second-generation Kanenaga. Blade length: 72.1 cm Curvature: 1.1 cm Number of Mekugi hole: 3 Sakihaba: 19.6 mm Sakikasane: 4.4 mm Motohaba: 30.0 mm Motokasane: 7.3 mm Signature: No signature Era: Koto Structure: Shinogi-zukuri, Iori-mune Jigane: Itame Hamon: Hoso-suguha Boshi: Massugu Haitte Omaru ni Kaeru Weight: 790 g(blade only) Nakago: Suriage Koshirae: Shirasaya Original Registration No.: Tochigi 52516 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This item will be shipped to you directly from Japan after the transaction is finalized. We will apply for an export permit from Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs and ship it once approval is granted. Please understand that this process takes approximately one month. Swords will be shipped by air freight (UPS or EMS) in most cases but, should air shipment to the winning bidder's country not be possible, it will be sent by sea. In Belgium, private sales of Japanese swords are prohibited by law, so bids from Belgium are not permitted.