Lot 279
279
A HIGO ENJU TACHI

Details
A HIGO ENJU TACHI
KAMAKURA PERIOD (CIRCA 1330), SIGNED KUNITOKI

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 5 bu (68.4cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 2.2cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.8cm.; carving (horimono): bo-hi with maru-dome on the outside and kaki-nagashi on the inside.
Forging pattern (jihada): small wood grain (ko-itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): suguba with some notare in nioi and ko-nie, between the mid-point of the blade and the hamachi is a display of irregular clove-like patterns (choji midare), together with 'legs' (ashi) and yo.
Point (boshi): medium and rounded (chu-maru).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): shortened (suriage); file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): three; signature (tachimei): Kunitoki.

Shirasaya.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 46 (1971); and a juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 43 (1968).
Literature
Tokubetsu juyo token to zufu, vol 1.
Juyo token to zufu, vol. 17.
Compton, Homma, Sato and Ogawa (1976), no. XI.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 31.
Exhibited
Compton, Sato, Homma and Ogawa (1976), no. VII.

Lot Essay

Kunitoki is said to be the son of Enju Kunimura, founder of the Enju school, and grandson of Kuniyuki, founder of the Yamashiro Rai school.

Certain Yamashiro characteristics appear in many of the blades by Kunitoki, including this present example: ko-itame, medium width suguba and a concerted use of ko-nie. The ko-nie forms displayed in this blade are intentionally placed at the lower half of the blade and in order not to create a visual imbalance with the upper half, they have been executed in small, very subtle forms: choji midare with ashi and yo.