Shikkake School Katana SOLD
The Shikkake school lies within the Yamato Den style. Norinaga is generally recognized as the founder though his father Norihiro is thought to have established the school, but there are no extant works by him. Yamato swords are noted for having a “high shinogi” in which the sword is thicker at the shinogi than the mune lending to a diamond shaped cross sectional profile. For the most part, Yamato school works are frequently quoted as being forged in masame, though in pure form, this is rarely found outside of another Yamato tradition school, the Hosho.
Two of the most recognizable features of Shikkake are the ko-mokume hada becoming masame in the ha, and the “stacked” habuchi occurring in the yakiba known as nijuba and occasional sanjuba. There are also uchinoke, kinsugi, and inazuma. Earlier works have a brighter habuchi and more vibrant jigane, while in later works the jigane became whitish and the habuchi less reflective. There are also ko-nie and strings of kinsuji mixed among the hamon of ko-gunome/suguha with ashi. The yakiba will have concentrated hataraki, inviting one to search for the activity available. The boshi is typically komaru or yakitsume with hakikake.
This sword is an example of later Shikkake works by the above characteristics with shirake (whitish) jigane throughout. This, in conjunction with some looser hada are features that would lend to later Shikkake work style and it’s age of about 750 years. The nakago has three ana, one of which is lead filled. It carries the trademarks of the schools work in the ko-mokume and masame hada mix, with the hataraki one would expect. The boshi turns back ever so slightly in ko-maru with sweeps of hakikake.
It is of nice length at just over 27 inches nagasa, in lovely polish, and has a nice gilded two piece habaki showing the admiration and special nature of the sword by it’s owner. It also is accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers verifying this as a work of the Shikkake school. All in all, this is a nice addition to any sword collection, priced *very* fairly for a sword of this age, condition, and documentation.
ffered on Consignement: $7,500.00 SOLD
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