Details
A BIZEN YOSHII WAKIZASHI
MUROMACHI PERIOD, DATED OEI 12 (1405), SIGNED YOSHINORI (YOSHINORI II)

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 6 sun, 2 bu (49.1cm.); curvature (sori): torii-zori of 1.2cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.8cm.; carving (horimono): kaki-nagashi bo-hi on either side.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame) of mixed textures.
Tempering pattern (hamon): peaked invections with irregular patterns (gonome midare) in bright nioi and nie, together with 'swept sands' (sunagashi).
Point (boshi): full brushed tip (hakikake).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): Bizen, suriage approximately 2 cm. and with a soft, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); holes (mekugi-ana): two; signature (katanamei): Yoshinori; date (jidai): Oei 12-nen 2-gatsu hi (a day in the 2nd month of Oei 12 (1405)).

Shirasaya with attestation by Sato Kanzan.

Silk storage bag.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 144663, Showa 43 (1968); a koshu tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 5268, Showa 50 (1975); and a hozon token certificate, no. 308107, Showa 62 (1987), giving the blade to Sanjo Yoshinori, issued by the N.B.T.H.K.

Provenance
David Craig
Douglas J. K. Wright, London

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