Lot Essay
The second sword: Exhibited at the Token Society Exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in March 1968.
MEI: MIMASAKA NO KUNI JU KANEKAGE SAKU, EDO PERIOD 17TH CENTURY; TACHI-MEI: BITCHU KUNI AOE JU YASUTSUGU SAKU DATED SHOWA 19 (19444); MEI: RAI KUNIFUSA AND HIRYUMARU (FLYING DRAGON), SHOWA PERIOD 20TH CENTURY
Details
A WAKIZASHI, A KATANA AND A GENDAI-TO NAVAL SWORD
The blade honzukuri, iorimune, deep koshi zori with chugissaki, running itamehada with ji-nie, suguha hamon of nie with uchinoke, kaen boshi, nakago slightly suriage, mei: Mimasaka no Kuni ju Kanekage saku, 17th century, 23in. (58.3cm.); in a service mounting with a silver mon on the tsuka, the saya bearing a brass plate giving the Presentation details, with blue Company's Officer's tassel and documentation; the second blade honzukuri, iorimune, koshi zori with chugissaki, ko-itamehada with ji-nie, wide saka midare hamon of ko-nie with ashi, the boshi a continuation of the hamon, ubu nakago, tachi-mei: Bitchu Kuni Aoe ju Yasutsugu saku, dated Showa 19 (1944), 24in. (61.2cm.); in a service mounting; the third blade honzukuri, iorimune, koshi zori with chugisskai, ko-itamehada with ji-nie, wide komidare hamon of nie, ubu nakago, mei: Rai Kunifusa and Hiryumaru [Flying Dragon], 20th century, 26in. (66cm.); in a naval service mounting, with documentation (3)
The blade honzukuri, iorimune, deep koshi zori with chugissaki, running itamehada with ji-nie, suguha hamon of nie with uchinoke, kaen boshi, nakago slightly suriage, mei: Mimasaka no Kuni ju Kanekage saku, 17th century, 23in. (58.3cm.); in a service mounting with a silver mon on the tsuka, the saya bearing a brass plate giving the Presentation details, with blue Company's Officer's tassel and documentation; the second blade honzukuri, iorimune, koshi zori with chugissaki, ko-itamehada with ji-nie, wide saka midare hamon of ko-nie with ashi, the boshi a continuation of the hamon, ubu nakago, tachi-mei: Bitchu Kuni Aoe ju Yasutsugu saku, dated Showa 19 (1944), 24in. (61.2cm.); in a service mounting; the third blade honzukuri, iorimune, koshi zori with chugisskai, ko-itamehada with ji-nie, wide komidare hamon of nie, ubu nakago, mei: Rai Kunifusa and Hiryumaru [Flying Dragon], 20th century, 26in. (66cm.); in a naval service mounting, with documentation (3)
Exhibited
Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, Token Society Exhibition, March 1968 (second sword)