Blade

Period: Tensho era (1573-1592) in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603).

Mei: Mumei. Attributed to den Seki Daido by the NTHK in July 2010.

Sugata: Kanmuri-otoshi-zukuri based on shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, naginata-hi, naginata-hi and soe-hi. There is a nice Buddhist horimono of a ken and (I presume) a dragon on one side.

Overall length: 36.85 inches (936.00 mm).

Nagasa: 16.34 inches (415.00 mm).

Nakago: Machi-okuri (a little shortened); 20.52 inches (521.00 mm). Technically however the nakago has been lengthened, rather than shortenedTakanoha yasurime.

Moto-haba: 1.09 inches (27.65 mm). Moto-gasane: 0.31 inches (7.76 mm).

Sori: inches ( mm).

Hamon: Medium suguha with slight notare, with two jump-ups. Boshi suguha, ko-maru with a long turnback.

Hada: Itame.

Blade condition: In excellent condition, good polish and healthy. There is a slight grain opening on one side, but that's not of great importance on a blade this old. The blade has been shortened by about 2 inches (5 cm) centuries ago. There hasn't however been any equivalent shortening of the nakago; it has actually been lengthened. This probably indicates that there was some damage at hamachi following a battle, and this was the best way to deal with it.

Mounts:

In shirasaya.

Comments:

The Seki Daido school was founded by Kanemichi from Seki in Mino province. He was the grandson of the 9th generation descendant from Kaneuji 1st (Shizu-Saburo), one of Masamune's ten pupils and the founder of Mino-den.

Kanemichi combined the style of his grandfather (the 9th generation Kaneuji) with his own techniques, thereby establishing the Mishina tradition. Kanemichi worked as early as the Tenmon era (1532). One daito by him is dated Tenmon 16 (1547), whilst another has the date of Eiroku 5 (1562). These are his earliest works. His work represents the transition years in the Keicho era where Koto gave way to Shinto.

Kanemichi's swords were famed for their quality and extreme sharpness and his early work is usually signed with a two character signature. In Eiroku 12 (1569) this fame led to him being asked to make a tachi for the Emperor Ogimachi. On successfully completeing this he was rewarded by being authorised to use the O kanji from the emperor's name in his signature. This kanji is also pronounced as dai. Initially Kanemichi used it to make his signature read O-Kanemichi; there are many examples of this signature. Later, after being awarded Mutsu no kami, he dropped the character Kane from his mei, so that his mei read Omichi or Daido. There is an example dated Tensho 18 (1590) signed Mino Seki ju Daido. It is therefore likely that he and his sons moved to Kyoto after 1590.The name Daido was subsequently used, with various titles, by the several generations of students that followed.

The shodai Daido (DAI 61) became the personal swordsmith of Oda Nobunaga. His four sons - Iga no Kami Kanemichi (Jo-saku), Rai Kinmichi (Jo-saku), Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi (Jo-saku), and Etchu no Kami Masatoshi (Jo-jo saku) - also made swords for Nobunaga. The work of these smiths have sharpness ratings of at least wazamono. His sons, and Omi no kami Hisamich (a student of Iga kami Kinmichi) were the Kyoto Gokaji, or the Five Swordsmiths of Kyoto. It seem that political considerations played some part in this elevation; the Mishina school was probably favoured by the new Tokugawa shogunate, whilst others may have been seen as supporters of the defeated Toyotomi forces. The Kyoto Gokaji were however extremely talented. Daido also trained many great smiths.

Long Koto naginata are uncommon; many were cut down in later periods to make wakizashi. This one has only a slight shortening, no doubt due to some damage at the hamachi sustained during one of Nobunaga's many battles. It is a very effective weapon, even in shirasaya. This is not surprising; it was made towards the end of the Sengoku or Warring States period, a period marked by 150 years of near constant military conflict. Effective weapons were needed.

As to which smith made this naginata – that must remain a matter of conjecture. A den attribution is made when a blade either lacks a feature found in a particular smith's work, or else has at least one additional feature. In the latter case it may represent the smith's best work. Given the NTHK's dating, it is most likely to have been made by either Daido or his sons.

References

Pepin D E J (2005), The Mishina School

£3,500 including P&P and bag Currency conversion.