KAMAKURA PERIOD (EARLY 13TH CENTURY)

Details

A Classic Early Tachi
Kamakura period (early 13th century)
This slender ubu tachi in shirasaya has the deep koshi-zori curve becoming shallow in the upper part of the blade indicative of the very earliest curved swords, although the blade has a severe forging fault, is tired over larger areas, the hamon severely depleted, and the boshi lost, it must have once been a fine blade, portions of the hada which remain are of ko-itame with fine jinie, in places close to the chirimen-hada of early Aoe school work, the hamon has large cloudy koshiba leading to ko-midareba with complex activity
length 78.5cm.

Lot Essay

Although blades in this condition are not highly valued it is significant that the sword has been preserved for eight hundred years or so, very probably having been deposited in a temple or shrine having in the past lost its usefulness as an effective weapon.

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