K73649(T3658)
+Shipping

Tanto signed KANENOBE (KANENOBU)

Koto middle of Muromachi period (Mei'ou era/1491-) Owari
Length of cutting edge 24.9cm Inward curvature Width of base 22.8mm Thickness of base 6.5mm

NBTHK(Tokubetsu Hozon) certificate


Blade construction: Hira-zukuri, a bit on higher side of Iori-mune. There is a moderate degree of tapering from base to point created in an inward curvature and less swelling in upper Fukura area which is refined for stabbing purpose. (click HERE for higher resolution image of the entire blade).
Forging(Hada): Forging is Itame mixing with Mokume-hada ware and Masame streaming ware mostly appears along quenching boundary lines. Crystallized granule of Ji-nie appears on surface that emits sparkling reflection of whitish-Utsuri. Darkish thick lines of Nie so called "CHIKEI" activity appears on Hira-ji.
Temper(Hamon): Hamon is a bit on tighter side "Nie" hard steel crystallized undulating Notare mixing with ranging Gunome where some indication of Hotsure apears. Upper the blade, deeper the sparkling Nie accumulated on boundary line. Upper the Monouchi area there perceives clear activities of thick lines of Nie so called Kin-suji and short lines of Sunagashi lines that run along hardening boundary area.
Temper of tip(Boshi): Temper of Boshi forms extremely flamboyant irregular indication with isolated Tobiyaki to form Hitatsura indication and small circle like flame-up indication that turns back deeply where irregular indication of Gunome appears.
Tang(Nakago): The tang is original UBU. Higaki checked filemarks. Uneven U-shaped (Ha-agari Kurijiri) heel shape. One mekugi-ana peg hole. The back ridge is a bit contoured "Ko-niku". The powerful clear stroke inscription signature of two peculiar character KANENOBE 兼延 appears in front below Mekugi-ana.

Here is a splendidly classical tanto of KANENOBE 兼延 (KANENOBU in other pronounce) in Owari from late 15th C. from Muromachi period.
The "KANENOBE" 兼延 is recorded in the Nihonto-meikan as belonging to the Naoe-Shizu school around the Ouan era (1368～).
Generically called Naoe-shizu school such as Kanetomo 兼友、Kanetoshi 兼俊、Kanenobe 兼延, had established a foothold in Naoe town and flourished to meet with sharp rise in demand for the Nanbokucho period while the two courts fought for fifty years.
In the prime of Nanbokucho period, Naoe-shizu makers accomplished their own workmanship in the dawning style of Mino-den of which Soushu and Yamato techniques were integrated.

The Naoe school, due to the decline in demand after the unification of the Northern and Southern Courts and repeated river floods, had left their original location in Naoe and moved to Seki and Akasaka or Oyama.
Around the Meio era (1492～), "KANENOBE" 兼延 is said to be the child of "KANEARI" 兼在 who lived in Oyama and he later migrated to the Owari region. This lineage such as KANENOBE 兼延, KANETSUGU 兼次, KUNITSUGU　国次 lived in Shiga (now Kinjyo Town, Kita Ward, Nagoya City) or the northern area of Yamada Town (Yamada Village, Nishikasugai District), is referred to as the "Shiga-Seki" 志賀関 or "Yamada-Seki" 山田関 and they laid the foundation for the Owari sword-smiting tradition.

The subject tanto is characterized by a firm physique adept at thrusting with a bamboo-shoot-like inward curve, and was highly valued as a companion blade for the long katana. The steel surface, a deep blue-black hue interspersed with burl and streaming grain patterns, emanates from the abyss, featuring a strong resilient construction with horizontal and vertical forging patterns formed by the Ji-nie sparkling granules. The Hamon is even more forceful and it's Boshi forms intensely irregular with a deep and powerful downward returns with an indication of Gunome, exhibiting a robust and dynamic quenching structure. The overall impression of this tanto is filled with a sense of vitality.
The blade is admired for the excellent quality and supreme condition and its Nakago holds the excellent taste of patina over the passage of 500 years even more.
Gold foiled double layers Habaki collar, preserved in a Shira-saya plain wood mounting
Recent good polish/Condition scale: mint - excellent (using a scale of mint-excellent-very good-good-fair-poor)
reference data :
Honma Kunzan/Ishii Masakuni, Nihontomeikan, Yuzanaku, 1975
Honma Kunzan/Sato Kan'ichi, Nihonto-Taikan/Koto 3, Otsuka-Kogeisha, 1969
Suzuki Taskuo/Sugiura Yoshiyuki, Muromachi-ki Mino-Toko-no kenkyu, Ribun-shuppan, 2006