Higo Enju Katana
S0170
SOLD
An excellent Kamakura Higo Enju katana in koshirae. O-suriage mumei with three mekugi ana. Hawatare: 2 shaku 1 sun 7 bu (65.76 cm or 25.89"). Shinogizukure, iroi mune, chu kissaki. Suguba, ko midare, slight ashi iri, ko nie habuchi is wide and soft, kinsuji, small short nijuba. The boshi is ko maru. The jigane is a moist ko mokume with ji nie and chikei. There is some slight nagare, shirake stands out. Masame in the shinogi ji. There is a strong midare utsure. In new polish, niju gold foil habaki, and shirasaya. NBTHK Tokubestu Hozon kanteisho.
Handachi koshirae, plain well patinated copper fittings en suite. The saya is covered with silk brocade. The koshirae dates from mid eighteenth century. The tsuba is eight lobed moku kokei Yoshiro mon sukashi dating from Momoyama to early Edo.
The Enju school of Higo province dates from late Kamakura into early Nambokucho. Enju Taro Kunimura's home province was Yamato, and was the son in law of Rai Kuniyuki. Around Gen-o (1319-1321), he moved to Kikuchi and became he founder of the Enju kaji. Extant excellent products are few. There is very little difference between the style of Enju and that of Rai. The works most closely resemble those of Rai Kunimitsu. My initial opinion before polish, was Rai Kunimitsu.