Live Auction 7085Japanese Art and Design Including an Important 17th Century
A Mino Wakizashi
Lot 237

A Mino Wakizashi

UNSIGNED, MUROMACHI PERIOD (16TH CENTURY)

Price Realised

GBP 4,800

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A Mino Wakizashi
Unsigned, Muromachi Period (16th Century)
The blade honzukuri, iorimune, torii-zori, chu-kissaki, coarse hada, masame on shinogi-ji, sanbonsugi hamon of nioi, midare boshi with komaru, suriage nakago with two holes, file marks kiri, gilt copper habaki, 47cm., in its ribbed black lacquer saya decorated with autumn flowers in gold hiramaki-e, matching shakudo mounts comprising fuchi-kashira, kurikata, kaeritsuno, uragawara, each chiselled with autumn flowers in iroe zogan, shakudo kozuka carved with autumn flowers, the shakudo mokko tsuba chiselled with autumn flowers and the rim decorated with gilt dragons, 65.5cm

Specialist note

The hamon known as sanbon sugi (triple cryptomeria) with a succession of pointed gunome in sets of three with the central one higher than the surrounding is a contrived form intimating the profile of a distant cryptomeria forest. It was the speciality of the second generation Kanemoto of Mino called Magoroku working in the 16th century. The school continued for some generations, and the hamon was adopted by later shinto and shinshinto smiths. The masame hada on the shinogiji of this blade is found on 16th century Mino school work in general.