A Fukuoka Ichimonji Naginata-Naoshi Katana (福岡一文字)

The Fukuoka-Ichimonji group produced some of the most visually spectacular blades of the mid-Kamakura period, and this naginata-naoshi stands as a superb example of why that reputation endures. Originally forged as a naginata – the pole weapon favoured by samurai and warrior monks throughout the 12th and 14th centuries – the blade was subsequently reshaped into a katana, a conversion known as naginata-naoshi. The transformation has done nothing to diminish its presence. At 70.1 cm with a dramatic 2.0 cm sori and a sweeping ô-kissaki measuring 14.7 cm in length, this is a blade that commands attention from across a room.

The jihada is a rich itame with ji-nie, and the characteristic midare-utsuri of the Bizen tradition is clearly visible. The hamon is the defining feature: a wide, explosive chôji-midare heavily mixed with ôbusa-chôji – the engulfed clove-bud formations with their noticeably large tassels that are the hallmark of the Fukuoka-Ichimonji group at their peak. Parts of the hamon reach the shinogi, and the ha displays overall noticeable undulations that give the blade an almost restless energy. The bôshi is midare-komi with almost no turnback. The spine is mitsu-mune – three surfaces, flat on top – a relatively rare construction associated with Bizen and Yamashiro schools of the Kotô period.

The ô-suriage nakago retains a gold-inlaid attribution to Ichimonji (一文字), a kinzôgan-mei applied in the late Edo period based on the characteristic style visible in the hamon. A Hon’ami origami dating to Shôtoku 6 (1714) – signed by Hon’ami Kôchû – authenticates the blade and values it at 500 kan. The sword was designated NBTHK Tokubetsu Jûyô Tôken at the 16th shinsa, held in April 2000, one of the most stringent endorsements the preservation society awards. It comes housed in a shirasaya with a gold ni-ju habaki with crisp file marks.