A TOKYO SCHOOL COPY OF A NARA KEN

MEIJI

Details

A TOKYO SCHOOL COPY OF A NARA KEN
MEIJI ERA, DATED MEIJI 40 (1908), SIGNED TEISHITSU GIGEIIN SUGAWARA KANENORI 78-SAI/FUTSU (NO) MITAMA NIBU ISSAKU TSUTSUSHINAE KORE O KITAN SU

Configuration (sugata): kiriha-zukuri (wedge shape, but with the shinogi running parallel and close to the edge on both sides) with a flat back (kaku-mune); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 1 sun, 5 bu (34.7cm.); curvature (sori): a very strong drop in the back of the blade (uchizori) of 2.1cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): a crisp burl pattern (ko-mume).
Tempering pattern (hamon): suguba in ko-nie.
Point (boshi): brush tip (hakikake).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): of archaic form, straight with a ring pommel; file marks (yasurime): kiri-yasuri; end (nakagojiri): ring pommel; holes (mekugi-ana): none; signature (mei): outside (omote): Teishitsu Gigeiin Sugawara Kanenori 78-sai; inside (ura): Futsu (no) Mitama nibu Issaku Tsutsushinae kore o Kitan su (A copy of Futsu-no-Mitama respectfully forged by Sugawara Kanenori, 78 years old.); Date (Jidai): Meiji 40-nen, 11-gatsu hi (a day in the 11th month of Meiji 40 [1908]).

Shirasaya with inscription describing the blade as a gift and signed by Tomita Atsuzumi, describing himself as the 50th abbot of the Hosenji.

Silk storage bag.

Lot Essay

Kanenori was a student of Yokoyama Sukekane.

Despite the inscription, the ken is not a faithful copy of the original, a sacred treasure, whose complete name is Futsu-no-mitama no Shinken, a sword of the Kashima Shrine. The Kashima Shrine blade is a chokuto (straight blade). This ken is also not a copy of the similar Isonokami Furunokami-miya-no-Shinken of the Isonokami Shrine in Nara. The smith produced an approximation in the general style of the Nara period.

The Futsu-no-mitama blade was excavated in 1905 from under a shrine altar and Emperor Meiji commissioned Kanenori to make copies, of which this is one, in half size.

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