Type: Mumei (Unsigned) Wakizashi

Item No.: ujwa005

Swordsmith: Unknown

Period: Mid-Muromachi (~500 years ago)

Location: Bingo Mihara (備後・ 三原） (Modern day Hiroshima)

Length: 50.0cm

Curvature: 0.8cm

Mekugi: 2

Hamon: Kataochi gunome

Habaki: Copper with Gold Wrap

Included: Koshirae, Kozuka (paper knife in scabbard,  beautiful brocade bag with Samurai kamon (crests), sword maintenance kit

Price: ¥300,000 (SOLD)

Some swords were made to tell a story, this is one such sword.

Blade is in fine condition, been polished some, so it has been decently used. Very comfortable length, easy to hold, and feels a bit longer than it is. This really feels like a reliable backup sword to a katana. The sword looks great. Bingo province is within the Kinai road which included the infamous Bizen province which was at the heart of Samurai sword making. This sword would have been longer than it is today. It may have been severely damaged in battle at a previous time.

The meaningful menuki under the silk tsuka is what really distinguishes this sword. One one side there is a monkey with his hand extending downward. The other side of the sword is of a moon. Essentially the story goes that a monkey tried to try to catch the moon reflection in the water, but never, of course, succeeded. He, in fact, drowned. This symbolic representation depicts the silliness and the illusion for the desire of material possessions. This is not the Samurai way. Less is more. Less is purity.

This is a poem by Hakuin (1686 – 1768) that illustrates this point:

The monkey is reaching
For the moon in the water.
Until death overtakes him
He’ll never give up.
If he’d let go the branch and
Disappear in the deep pool,
The whole world would shine
With dazzling pureness.

The kozuka is very interesting piece. This is another delightful bonus on this sword. On the kozuka you will find the powerful shisa lion that protects one from evil, nestled within a floral background. It’s important to note that that the Samurai needed to be versed in ikebana floral arrangement and Japanese maple leaves, green tea ceremony, and other zen practices as it calmed the mind of the warrior – especially before battle. This handmade detail is very impressive and comes from the Edo period (~150 years old). The kozuka is signed by the artist making it more valuable than others.

The tsuba is very decorative indeed, the artwork is wonderful. It’s design is to be left open for the imagination to interpret. The habaki is protected in gold with a copper base, and it is stunning.

The sword is not currently certified by the NBTHK, mainly because the previous owner never felt the need to have it ranked. For this reason the sword can sell for the price it is at. If one does invest the time and extra expense, this sword will climb in value by much more than the 35,000 yen that it takes to have it certified. This sword is guaranteed to receive the NBTHK Hozon ranking or else the sword can be purchased back in full.

A 4% discount is offered for payments made directly to Unique Japan by direct bank transfer or in cash (dollars or yen). An attractive layaway plan is also available. Contact us to purchase this sword.

If you are interested in this sword and others from our collection, please contact us to book an appointment. Private meetings are generally arranged within the Tokyo area.

Unique Japan is able to ship swords from Japan to countries all over the world. All legal exportation paperwork is included with every purchase. Please allow about 4 weeks for us to process and ship an order from Japan. Dealers welcome.

*All photos taken professionally by Jensen Walker

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