SIGNED TACHI-MEI, BIZEN NO KUNI OSAFUNE YOSHI ....., NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)

Details

A Bizen School Tachi
Signed tachi-mei, Bizen no kuni Osafune Yoshi ....., Nambokucho Period (14th Century)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, koshizori, extended chu-kissaki

Kitae [forging pattern]: running o-itame and mokume with jinie

Hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome choji midare of nie, midare utsuri

Boshi [tip]: ko-midare

Horimono [carvings]: bohi on both sides

Nakago [tang]: suriage, three holes

Habaki [collar]: double, gold

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 74.8cm.

Sori [curvature]: 2.2cm.

Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 3cm.

Sakihaba [width before tip]: 2.1cm.

Literature

The Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings, Shinshun Tokubetsu ten, Bizen Osafune Meito Ten (Tokyo, 1999), cat.no.8, p.8

Exhibited

Shinshun Tokubetsu ten, Bizen Osafune Meito Ten [Special Exhibition in Early Spring, Masterpieces of Swords from Bizen Osafune], Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings, Tokyo, from January 1999

Special notice

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Lot Essay

Although the mune of the tang has been somewhat cut away, and most of the character 'yoshi' is also missing, what remains of the signature is sufficient to strongly indicate that the smith is Yoshikage, working in Osafune during the latter part of the Nambokucho period in Soden Bizen style. His name is linked with Chikakage and Chogi.

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