Lot 242
242
BIZEN--KO-YOSHII
A BIZEN TACHI

Details
A BIZEN TACHI
KAMAKURA PERIOD (CIRCA 1290), ATTRIBUTED TO THE KO-YOSHII SCHOOL

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), tri-bevelled back (mitsu-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 3 sun, 5 bu (71.4cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 1.9cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.5cm.; carving (horimono): bo-hi on both sides extending deeply into the tang. Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame) with faint utsuri.
Tempering pattern (hamon): midare with some undulations (gonome) in profuse nie.
Point (boshi): the outside with notare and the inside with a small rounded point (ko-maru).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): o-suriage, slender and tapering; file marks (yasurime): sujikai; end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two; signature (mei): unsigned (mumei).

Shirasaya with inscription signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).

Accompanied by a juyo token certificate, dated Showa 55 (1980).
Literature
Juyo token to zufu, vol. 27.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 11.

Lot Essay

Purportedly founded by Bizen Tamenori, the Bizen Yoshii group produced relatively few blades and those made during the Kamakura period are referred to as Ko-Yoshii. By the 16th century, most of the Bizen groups had reconvened and merged at Osafune, but the Yoshii group managed to remain distinct, maintaining its own particular forging and tempering characteristics, particularly the small gonome hamon.