Lot 838
838
A MAGNIFICENT SHOGUNAL PRESENTATION DAISHO WITH SOSHU BLADES
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A MAGNIFICENT SHOGUNAL PRESENTATION DAISHO WITH SOSHU BLADES

KATANA: OMOTE KINZOGAN MEI MASAMUNE, URA KINZOGAN MEI INABA AIKUCHI: MEI YUKIMITSU KAMAKURA PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)

Details
A MAGNIFICENT SHOGUNAL PRESENTATION DAISHO WITH SOSHU BLADES
Katana: omote kinzogan mei Masamune, ura kinzogan mei inaba
Aikuchi: mei Yukimitsu
Kamakura Period (14th Century)
The katana:
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, shallow koshizori with chu-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: itame hada nageru with ji-nie, chikei and yubashiri with scattered nie over the blade
Hamon [tempering pattern]: ko-midare with ko-gunome hamon of nie with ashi, kinsuji, sunagashi and inazuma
Boshi [tip]: midare-komi with a short kaeri and some hakikake
Horimono [carvings]: bohi both sides extending through the nakago
Nakago [tang]: o-suriage
Nagasa [length from tip to beginning]: 69.6cm.
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]
Katana koshirae [set of mounts]: comprising nashiji saya with aoi mon in gold lacquer and gold foil, shakudo nanako mikakiji fuchi-kashira with gilt aoi mon and foliage in low relief, shakudo mikakiji tsuba chiselled in kebori with aoi mon and gilt rim, shakudo and gilt aoi mon menuki, gold lacquer kurikata, kaeritsuno and kojiri, 19th century, contained in a black lacquer box inscribed O-to Masamune and ichi
The aikuchi:
Sugata [configuration]: hirazukuri, mitsumune
Kitae [forging pattern]: itame hada with ohada and jinie
Hamon [tempering pattern]: midare of nie with a deep habuchi widening towards the kissaki, inazuma, kinsuji
Boshi [tip]: hakikake on the omote
Horimono [carvings]: ken in groove on omote, irregular double groove on the ura
Nakago [tang]: ubu inscribed Yukimitsu, two holes, one plugged
Habaki [collar]: two part, the lower part of gold
Nagasa [length from tip to beginning]: 28.7cm.
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]
Aikuchi koshirae [set of mounts]: with an unbound same tsuka, nashiji saya with Tokugawa mon in gold lacquer and gold foil, plain gold lacquer fuchi-kashira, kojiri, kaeritsuno and uragawara, shakudo nanako kozuka with triple gilt Tokugawa mon, similar menuki, 19th century, contained in a brown lacquer box inscribed Denrai O Tanto, with the kao of Honami Kochu (Tadanobu) that he used between March 1697 and June 1725 (2)
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Kochu was the 13th master of the main Honami line of sword appraisers.
Traditionally the Inaba family descended from Prince Hikosahima no Mikoto, a member of the 7th Emperor Korei's family, historically from Kono Michitaka in the 14th century. The Inaba family divided into the senior and junior lines in the 16th century, the junior branch held fiefs successively in Echigo, Sagami, Shimosa and finally from 1723 at Yodo in Yamashiro with a revenue of 115,000 koku. The last daimyo Inaba Masakami was appointed Governor of Kyoto in 1868 by the Emperor Meiji and ennobled as Viscount in 1881 when he held the post of President of the Council of Interior Affairs.

A document states that the Masamune blade was presented to Lord Inaba by Tokugawa Ieyoshi (1837-1853), the 12th Shogun 'at the end of and in view of a prosperous year'. There is also a certificate dated 2nd December Showa 26 (1951) signed and sealed by the then head of the family Inaba Masayoshi referring to the koshirae.

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