Lot Essay
Because the tsuba fits the blade exactly, in order to include the two bo-hi, it can be assumed that the fittings were all originally made for this blade.
Details
A MINO SHIZU KATANA
NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (CIRCA 1350)
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and large point (o-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 9 bu (69.6cm.); curvature (sori): shallow koshi-zori of 1.3cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.9cm.; carving (horimono): bo-hi on both sides, the omote-hi continuing through the tang, the ura hi ending at a point (kaki-nagashi) in the tang.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame) with some masame near the hamon.
Tempering pattern (hamon): shallow notare with some undulations (gonome) and clove-like patterns (choji) in nioi and bright ko-nie, intermixed with some 'legs' (ashi) and 'swept sands' (sunagashi).
Point (boshi): small and rounded (ko-maru) on the outside and flame-brushed tip (hakikake) on the inside.
Tang (nakago): shape (keitai): o-suriage; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two (one plugged); signature (mei): unsigned (mumei).
Shirasaya with inscription signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).
Silver-mounted handachi-koshirae (circa 1850) comprising: a mottled red/black o-ishime saya mounted with unsigned fittings, decorated en suite with waves, clouds and dragons: wari-kogai, koiguchi, fuchi-kashira and omeshi kojiri; a silver quatrelobed tsuba carved and molded with a dragon amidst clouds over crashing waves, signed Motoaki with kao--diameter of tsuba 6.7 cm, thickness 0.5 cm.
Silk storage bag.
Accompanied by a juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 43 (1968).
NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (CIRCA 1350)
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and large point (o-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 9 bu (69.6cm.); curvature (sori): shallow koshi-zori of 1.3cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.9cm.; carving (horimono): bo-hi on both sides, the omote-hi continuing through the tang, the ura hi ending at a point (kaki-nagashi) in the tang.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame) with some masame near the hamon.
Tempering pattern (hamon): shallow notare with some undulations (gonome) and clove-like patterns (choji) in nioi and bright ko-nie, intermixed with some 'legs' (ashi) and 'swept sands' (sunagashi).
Point (boshi): small and rounded (ko-maru) on the outside and flame-brushed tip (hakikake) on the inside.
Tang (nakago): shape (keitai): o-suriage; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two (one plugged); signature (mei): unsigned (mumei).
Shirasaya with inscription signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).
Silver-mounted handachi-koshirae (circa 1850) comprising: a mottled red/black o-ishime saya mounted with unsigned fittings, decorated en suite with waves, clouds and dragons: wari-kogai, koiguchi, fuchi-kashira and omeshi kojiri; a silver quatrelobed tsuba carved and molded with a dragon amidst clouds over crashing waves, signed Motoaki with kao--diameter of tsuba 6.7 cm, thickness 0.5 cm.
Silk storage bag.
Accompanied by a juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 43 (1968).
Literature
Juyo token to zufu, vol. 17.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 36.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 36.