A Bizen School Wakizashi

SIGNED BISHU OSAFUNE MUNEMITSU SAKU AND DATED BUNMEI JUNEN BOJUTSU NIGATSU KICHIJITSU (1478.2)

Details

A Bizen School Wakizashi
Signed Bishu Osafune Munemitsu saku and dated Bunmei junen bojutsu nigatsu kichijitsu (1478.2)
The blade hirazukuri, iori-mune, shallow toriizori, chu-kissaki carved with bohi ni soehi on the omote, bohi ni soehi with characters on the ura; the forging pattern itame with jinie, gunome-midare of ko-nie, deep ashi, inazuma, hakikake boshi; the tang ubu with two holes and a double gilt-copper habaki
49cm. from tip to beginning of tang; 1.2cm. curvature; 2.9cm. wide at start of tempered edge; 2cm. wide before tip
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Lot Essay

Sakyo no shin Munemitsu was the second son of Rokurozaemon Sukemitsu (see lot 8). He is believed to have been retained by Akamatsu Masanori around the time of manufacture of this blade, and together with his brother Katsumitsu fought on behalf of Masanori against the Yamana clan in 1483 at the start of the Oyamaguchi War (1483-88). He later travelled to Kyoto on more than one occasion together with Masanori, and performed demonstrations of sword-making there. Munemitsu taught Masanori the art of sword-making, and this is documented on some extant blades. He also worked in Bitchu and Omi, and is considered thereby to have influenced the eventual dissemination of the Bizen style in the Kansai region and elsewhere.

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