A Ko-Mihara Katana (古三原)

The Mihara school takes its name from the town of Mihara in Bingo province – today the eastern part of Hiroshima prefecture. Founded by the swordsmith Masaie and active from the end of the Kamakura period through to the close of the Muromachi period, the school carried a strong Yamato tradition in its workmanship. Smiths working through the Nambokuchô period are classified as Ko-Mihara; those of the early Muromachi as Chû-Mihara; and late Muromachi work as Sue-Mihara. This blade has been certified Ko-Mihara by the NBTHK at Tokubetsu Hozon level – a meaningful endorsement for a sword of this age and school.

The blade was originally forged as a long tachi during the Nambokuchô period – the golden age of the oversized war sword. At some point in the late Muromachi period (circa the 1500s) it was greatly shortened to its current ô-suriage nakago, losing whatever signature it may once have carried. The shortening was executed with care, and the patina of the nakago is even and well-maintained. The robust silhouette, with its fairly broad chû-kissaki, is entirely typical of the Nambokuchô period; in its original state this sword would have been well over 80cm in length.

The steel is a pleasure to study. The jihada is a blend of ko-mokume and ô-hada with plentiful streaks of chikei running through the body of the blade – and the photographs show long, impressive lines of kinsuji breaking through the hamon. The hamon itself is a bright chû-suguha (straight temper) with a tight, glowing nioguchi and areas of kuichigai-ba, a sophisticated feature characteristic of the Yamato tradition. The koshirae is a striking late Edo period set lacquered in rusty vermilion with inrô-kizami groove-work, fitted with a complete matching suite of silver dragon-themed fittings (soroi kanagu), including a silver tsuba depicting a tiger in a bamboo grove (NTHK-NPO certified), gold crawling-dragon menuki with original ray-skin samekawa, and a fearsome dragon-face kashira.