Lot Essay
There were two smiths who signed Yamashiro no kami Fujiwara Kunishige, both working around 1764 to 1781.
THE YARI SIGNED KUNISHIGE, EDO PERIOD (MID-LATE 18TH CENTURY)
Details
A FINE JUMONJI-YARI AND THREE DECORATIVE YANO-NE [ARROWHEADS]
THE YARI SIGNED KUNISHIGE, EDO PERIOD (MID-LATE 18TH CENTURY)
The yari with a well-shaped jumonji blade with suguba and toran wave hamon and komaru boshi, signed Yamashiro no kami Fujiwara Kunishige saku, the black lacquer shaft wrapped beneath the lacquer to give an undulating surface to facilitate the grip, the base with an iron ferrule and a copper band, the upper end with gilt cord, three sections of kirigai, and a rare small tsuba-like banner-ring in the form of the wheel of the Buddhist law, in copper with fine nanako, and a copper ferrule; a large tama [jewel]-shaped presentation yano-ne carved and pierced with two opposed karashishi, each side carved as the face, one smaller yanagi-ya yano-ne pierced with a cherry blossom and one inome-bori and another pierced with a cherry blossom and one large and one small circular hole, all unsigned
45.1, 22.7 and 21.4cm. respectively (4)
THE YARI SIGNED KUNISHIGE, EDO PERIOD (MID-LATE 18TH CENTURY)
The yari with a well-shaped jumonji blade with suguba and toran wave hamon and komaru boshi, signed Yamashiro no kami Fujiwara Kunishige saku, the black lacquer shaft wrapped beneath the lacquer to give an undulating surface to facilitate the grip, the base with an iron ferrule and a copper band, the upper end with gilt cord, three sections of kirigai, and a rare small tsuba-like banner-ring in the form of the wheel of the Buddhist law, in copper with fine nanako, and a copper ferrule; a large tama [jewel]-shaped presentation yano-ne carved and pierced with two opposed karashishi, each side carved as the face, one smaller yanagi-ya yano-ne pierced with a cherry blossom and one inome-bori and another pierced with a cherry blossom and one large and one small circular hole, all unsigned
45.1, 22.7 and 21.4cm. respectively (4)
Literature
Other examples of both these types of yano-ne are illustrated H. Batterson Boger, The Traditional Arts of Japan, (New York, 1964), pp.112 - 116.
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.