Rai Kunimitsu katana

Rai Kunimitsu Katana

Attribution: mumei, Rai Kunimitsu
Sayagaki: Jōshū Rai Kunimitsu, Tanzan
Nagasa: 2 shaku 3 sun 6 bu kyō
Kanteisho: NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken
Sugata: ō-suriage, ō-kissaki
Kitae: itame with abundant ji-nie and nie-utsuri
Hamon: chū-suguha in nie-deki, with sunagashi and kinsuji
Bōshi: hakikake
Koshirae: shirasaya with sayagaki

城州来国光

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刃⻑弐尺三寸六分強 時在乙⺒暦卯月穀旦 探山誌「花押」

Jōshū Rai Kunimitsu Ō-suriage mumei nari. Haba-hiro, ō-kissaki no takumashiki taihai o mise ji-nie o atsuku teruki nie-utsuri no tatsu itame no hada-ai ni chū-suguha o yaki nioi-fukashi de nie yutaka ni atsuku tsukite kirameki sunagashi, kinsuji kakari nioiguchi akaruku sae bōshi wa hakikake ura wa togatte kaeru nado miyabisa ni Sōshū-den-teki shikisai o kami-shitaru saku’iki ga ukagaware dōkō ni shūren-saru kentai deki nari.

Hachō ni-shaku san-sun roku-bu kyō Jizai kinoto-hebidoshi uzuki kokutan Tanzan shirusu + kaō

Rai Kunimitsu from Yamashiro Province

This blade is ō-suriage and is with its wide mihaba and ō-kissaki of a powerful shape, displaying a forging structure in itame that features plenty of sparkling ji-nie and a nie-utsuri. The hardening is a nie-laden chū-suguha with a wide, bright, and clear nioiguchi that is mixed with sparkling sunagashi and kinsuji, with the bōshi showing hakikake and on the ura side a pointed kaeri. Thus, we recognize an elegant approach combined with some elements of the Sōshū tradition, hence the attribution of this healthy blade can be narrowed down to Rai Kunimitsu.

Blade length ~ 71.5 cm (28 1/8 in.) Written by Tanzan [Tanobe Michihiro] on a lucky day in April in the year of the snake of this era (2025) + monogram.