AN ECHIZEN KO-WAKIZASHI

ECHIZEN

Details

AN ECHIZEN KO-WAKIZASHI
EDO PERIOD (FIRST HALF 17TH CENTURY), ATTRIBUTED TO SHIGETAKA

Configuration (sugata): of deep, flat, wedge section (ohira-zukuri) with tri-bevelled back (mitsu-mune); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 3 sun, 5 bu (4l.0cm.); carving (horimono): inside (ura): banner (hata) within a naginata-hi; outside (omote): shin-no-kurikara within a wide katana-hi.
Forging pattern (jihada): very large wood grain (o-mokume). Tempering pattern (hamon): notare gonome with active nie.
Point (boshi): small pointed (ko-maru) with short kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): short and wide (funagata); file marks (yasurime): squared (kiri-jiri); end (nakagojiri): V (kengyo); holes (mekugi-ana): three (two plugged); signature (mei): unsigned (mumei).

Shirasaya.

Wakizashi-koshirae comprising a black ishime saya widely notched below the uragawara and decorated with black lacquer craquelure and depressed cherry blossoms; above the uragawara, the saya is finely ribbed and lacquered deep green; the silver bamboo-form kurikata is set onto a long silver strap inset into the side of the saya; the uragawara, in silver and gold, is in the form of a cuckoo flying past clouds and a crescent moon; the iron kojiri, koiguchi and fuchi kashira are set with silver flowering plum, unsigned; the tsuka is wrapped in baleen with a wide ribbed band of silver in the middle set with circular gilt menuki in the form of stylized flowerheads; the iron Higo trapezoidal-shaped tsuba is decorated with silver nunome pine, unsigned, circa 1700; the shakudo nanako kozuka is decorated in silver and gold with a farmer cringing below lightning bolts, signed Yamazaki Ichiga with kao (fl. 1780, a student of Goto Jujo, living in Kyoto); the silver wari-kogai is in the form of bamboo with gold branches, signed Inoue Tadakore (Inshi) with kao (fl. 1800, a student of the Yoshioka school)--length of koshirae 59.2cm.; length of tsuka 12.9cm.; length of kozuka 9.5cm.; length of wari-kogai 16.8cm.; diameter of tsuba 7.2cm.

Accompanied by a futsu kicho token certificate, no number, Showa 35 (1960) attributing the blade to Sue Soshu; and a tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 44020, Showa 35 (1960) attributing the blade to Echizen Shigetaka, issued by the N.B.T.H.K.; a tokubetsu kicho koshirae certificate, no. 149, Showa 53 (1978); and a koshu tokubetsu kicho koshirae certificate, no. 15521, Showa 53 (1978), issued by the N.B.T.H.K.

Silk and flannel storage bags.

Provenance

Kano Oshima, New York

Lot Essay

In addition to the Echizen Shigetaka attribution, the blade has been attributed to Soshu Fusamune and Horikawa Kunihiro.

Yamazaki Ichiga (Ichiga V, circa 1750-75) was the son of Ichiga IV and a pupil of Goto Jujo (Mitsutada), 12th main line Goto master. See Moslé (1932) no. 1390.

Inshi was a student of Yoshioka Inji; he also signed Inju. He worked in Edo and specialized in fuchi kashira and menuki.

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