Details
A BIZEN OSAFUNE TANTO
MOMOYAMA PERIOD, DATED 1578, SIGNED BIZEN [NO] KUNI [NO] JU OSAFUNE SUKESADA
Configuration (sugata): flat (hira-zukuri) with tri-bevelled back (mitsu-mune); length (nagasa): 8 sun, 6.5 bu (26.3 cm.); curvature (sori): very slight koshi-zori of 0.2cm.; carving (horimono) (later): outside: a standing figure of Jurojin; inside: crane.
Forging pattern (jihada): fine-grained mokume; tsukinowa in the monouchi.
Tempering pattern (hamon): wide suguba in ko-nie.
Point (boshi): outside: small and rounded (ko-maru) hakikake with long kaeri; inside: small and rounded (ko-maru) with long kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): typical Bizen style and unshortened (ubu); file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two (one double); signature (mei): Bizen [no] Kuni [no] ju Osafune Sukesada, dated: Tensho 9 (1578), 2nd month.
Shirasaya.
Aikuchi-koshirae, Edo period (circa 1850), mounts signed Horai, comprising: a lacquer saya black togidashi and gold nashiji on a fundame grounddepicting flowering cherry blossom, mounted with silver kurikata, uragawara and dengyu kojiri pierced and carved in relief with flowering plants; a tsuka wrapped with baleen and mounted with a pair of silver and gold menuki in the form of pine cones and plum, a kashira molded with flowering plum and a fuchi molded with bamboo, signed Horai with kao (fl. 1865); a wari-kogai engraved in katakiri-bori with a stalk of bamboo and a kozuka similarly decorated with flowering plum. --length of koshirae 39cm.; length of tsuka 10.7cm.; length of wari-kogai 14.6cm.; length of kozuka 7cm. Saya split.
Brocade storage bag.
