Chikushi Ryōkai Katana

Muromachi katana attributed to Chikushi Ryōkai, with NBTHK Hozon Tōken kanteisho, measuring 2 shaku 1 sun 4 bu. The blade is preserved with an ubu nakago and is housed in shirasaya with sayagaki.

This katana shows a restrained and classical workmanship consistent with the Ryōkai lineage and its Yamashiro-den foundation. The jihada is a fine ko-itame, well-forged and quietly active, giving the ji a controlled and elegant surface. The hamon is suguha-chō in ko-nie-deki, with fine sunagashi appearing within the ha. The overall impression is one of disciplined construction rather than display, with the activity kept subtle and integrated.

The horimono are particularly noteworthy: a ken on one side and a bonji on the reverse. This pairing is highly consonant with Yamashiro-den taste, especially as seen in traditions such as Awataguchi and Rai, where Buddhist horimono are treated with restraint and placed in service of the blade’s form rather than standing apart from it.

The attribution to Chikushi Ryōkai is especially appropriate in this context, linking the sword to a provincial continuation of Yamashiro-den workmanship while preserving the quiet dignity associated with the Ryōkai tradition. With its ubu mumei nakago, clear NBTHK attribution, shirasaya and sayagaki, fine ko-itame, suguha-chō hamon, and classical ken and bonji horimono, this is a composed and scholarly koto katana for a collector who values lineage, workmanship, and restraint.