Koto Kanemoto Katana (古刀兼元刀)

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Nagasa (長さ): (2尺 2寸 8分)
Sugata (姿): shinogi-zukuri (鎬造)
Jihada (地肌): ko-itame (小板目)
Hamon (波紋): sanbonsugi-midare (三本杉乱れ)
Mei (銘): Kanemoto (兼元)

A long sword (katana 刀) with a blade length (nagasa 長さ) of (2尺 2寸 8分) 27.2 inches or 69.1 cm. It has a refined (shinogi-zukuri 鎬造). The style of the outline of the tempered edge (hamon 刃文) is a specific type of (gunome 互の目) called sanbonsugi-midare (三本杉乱れ). The hamon is done in a very fine crystal structure (nioi-deki 匂出来) intermixed with larger crystals of (nie沸). The forging pattern (jihada 地肌) is a fine (ko-itame 小板目).
The katana is signed with an orikaeshi-mei (折返し銘) of Kanemoto (兼元). This sword passed the NTHK 2024 East Coast Shinsa at the Orlando Show. The unofficial attribution is to a later generation of Kanemoto of Mino Province (後代兼元 美濃) circa Tenshō (天正) Era of the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (安土桃山時代) from July 1573 CE through December 1592 CE.The katana is fitted to a plain white wooden scabbard (shira-saya 白鞘) for storage and gold foil habaki (はばき) for storage.

Provenance: Unknown purchased from a US based Japanese sword dealer.