Katana in Koshirae

Signature: Morishige (Bizen Omiya school)

The blade was polished .
Blade length : 63.03 cm or 24.81 inches.
Sori : 2.12 cm or 0.83 inches.
Mekugi: 4
Width at the hamachi : 2.64 cm or 1.03 inches.
Wide at the Kissaki : 1.72 cm or 0.67 inches.
Kasane : 0.69 cm or 0.27 inches.
Era : Muromachi period. about Ouei era.(1394)
Shape : This blade is regular sized Suriage Machiokuri Katana with deep Sori.
Jitetsu : Itame hada well grained with Jinie attach, and Utsuri appear.
Hamon : Koniedeki Suguha with rather deep Nioikuchi.
There are Ashi in Ha.

Special feature : The Omiya school of Bizen province belongs to the Osafune school .
It is a commonly accepted view that Kunimori or his son who moved from Omiya in Kyoto in the last Kamakura period was the founder of this school. Almost of all survived swords of this school were limited to Morikage, Morokage and Morishige on and after the Nambokucho period.
Generally the temperline of this school is Notare influenced by the Soshu school or O-miadre. Sometimes there is nie on the jitetsu but utruri is nowhere to be found. Chogi and his clan tend toward this style.

Morishige was a sword smith of Omiya school, and he started from Ouan era (1368), and continued some generations.
This blade was appraised as made in about Ouei era(1394), and I think
the signature is reliable.

Koshirae :
Tsuba : On the copper Tsuba, openwork is engraved, and rim is covered with Shakudo plate.
Fuchi: Signature “Hidekatsu” is engraved. On the Shakudo plate, monkey is engraved with solid gold.
It is very nice quality, and made in Edo period.
Kashira : Tsuno
Saya : Aogai chirashi Saya. (blue shell decoration.)
Menuki : On the Shakudo plate, Gunbai (referee's fan) and stirrup and whip (?) are engraved with gold color iroe.

 

Aoi Art estimation paper : whole Oshigata.