A3300(S8300)
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Katana signed Owari-koku Fujiwara NOBUTAKA with)Blue Pearl of inlay scabbard Uchigatana Koshirae fitting

Shin-shin-to　End of Edo period (Kaei era/circa 1848) Owari
Length of cutting edge70.5cm Curvature1.3cm Width of base31.9mm Thickness of base7.0mm Width of Yokote22.6mm

NBTHK(HOZON) certificate

with)Blue Pearl of inlay scabbard Uchigatana Koshirae fitting

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Blade construction (kengyo) : Shinogi-zuruki. Iori-mune back ridge, Kasane is thick and Mihaba is wide, holding moderate well-balanced curve.Hiraji-surface is wide and less hiraniku leading to a large Kissaki. There are Round-end Bo-hi grooved on both sides, The entire blade is massive and healthy. (click HERE for high resolution of the blade photograph)
Forging pattern (kitae hada) : Kitae hada is conspicuous Itame mixing streaming Masame straight grain.
Tempering pattern (hamon) : Hamon is fine ko-nie base starting with straight YAKIDASHI then passage of Gunome which varies in shape and height such as Clove-outline, Tadpole shape and sharp-head. Upper the blade below Yokote ridge, Yakiba calms down to straight connecting to Boshi tip. The interior of temper is active with thick Nie-Ashi feet.
Temper of tip (boshi) : Boshi becomes calm to be straight circle turns back with Hakikake-Niju-ha blushing up indication in front and medium circle turns back.
Tang (Nakago) : Nakago is UBU original. Osujikai(greatly slanting left). Ha-agari Kurijiri round heel shape. One Mekugi-ana peg hole. The signature in Omote is located below Meuigi-ana along the Shinogi-suji, chiselled with seven character [Owari koku Fujiwara NOBUTAKA] 『尾張国藤原信高』 .
The first generation NOBUTAKA 信高, his original name was Kōmura Saemon 河村左衛門, belonged to San ami lineage 三阿弥派, a son of KANETAKA 兼高. He was born in Eiroku 4 (1561) in Kamiuchi town, Mino 美濃国上有知. Nobutaka 信高 and Ujifusa 氏房, they belonged to the same Kawamura 河村 clan. He changed his smith name from KANE-TAKA 兼高 to NOBU-TAKA 信高 of which NOBU 信 was granted by Oda Nobunaga 織田信長. After the death of Oda Nobunaga, Nobutaka had worked under the patronage of lords of the Castle Kiyosu then he again moved to Kaji-town, Nagoya (now in 3-chome Marunouchi, Naka-ward, Nagoya) at Nagoya castle relocation in the 2nd month, the 15th year of Keicho(1610). Nobutaka lineage had been prospered had exclusively worked for the vassals of the Owari Tokugawas untill end of Edo to the 10th generations.
This katana is a work of 9th generation NOBUTAKA, pupil's name was Kōmura Jintarō. Initial smith name was NOBUTERU 信照, learned from 8th generation NOBUTAKA. After the retirement of 8th generation Bunka 10 (1813), he had used both name NOBOTERU and NOBUTAKA. He officially became a headship of NOBUTAKA Tenpo 8 (1837) to change his name Kōmura Jin-no-shin NOBUTAKA 河村甚之進信高. He chiselled mostly as [Owari koku Nobutaka 『尾張国信高』, or [Fujiwara Nobutaka] 『藤原信高』. Passes away Ansei 3, 9th month, 23th day (1856) then inherited NOBUTAKA title to the last smith 10th generation Kōmura Kunizabuto NOBUTAKA 河村邦三郎信高.
This is a typical sword in the last Samurai's age with warlike spirit, end of Edo period and was custom-made for a sturdy Samurai in Owari domain of last stage against a movement to overthrow the Shogunate before Meiji Restoration.
Blue Pearl of inlay scabbard Uchigatana Koshirae consists of:
White Rayskin Gray Indigo-blue lozenge wrap hilt.
Menuki is the twelve signs of the zodiac Yobori, gold iroe inlay.
Fuchi, Kashira Iron ground a Bat design.
Tsuba is Iron ground, tortoiseshell pattern, Faggots motif signed as NOBUIE.
(click HERE for entire koshirae and HERE for images in detail)
Original gold foiled copper habaki, preserved in a shira-saya plain wood mounting.
Recent polish/Condition scale: very good (using a scale of mint-excellent-very good-good-fair-poor)