A LATER SATSUMA MASAFUSA WAKIZASHI

Details

A LATER SATSUMA MASAFUSA WAKIZASHI
EDO PERIOD (circa 1715), SIGNED (AOIMON) MONDO (NO) SHO MASAKIYO (ATTRIBUTED TO MASAKIYO I)

Sugata: shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and o-kissaki; nagasa: 1 shaku,2 sun,9 bu (39.3cm.); torii-zori of 1.1cm.; motohaba: 3.2cm.; sakihaba: 2.5cm. Jihada: compact itame. Hamon: notare with profuse nie. Boshi: hakikake with long kaeri. Nakago: tapering and with a very dry, brown patina; yasurime: katte-sagari; nakagojiri: iri-yamagata; mekugi-ana: one; mei: katana-mei, (Aoimon) Mondo (no) Sho Masakiyo. Shirasaya.

Wakizashi-goshirae: red and black saya made to simulate a straight wood grain; green-wrapped tsuka with copper and gold menuki of persimmons and fitted with a pair of shibuichi fuchi-kashira carved shishiaibori with gold highlights depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, signed on an inlaid silver panel, Otsuryuken Miboku (Hamano).

Provenance

Fairclough, London
Dr. Walter A. Compton, Christie's, New York, 22 October, 1992, lot 255.

Lot Essay

The tsuba (Hotel Drouot, Paris, 1960, lot 56) was already in the Compton Collection when this blade was purchased; the tsuba was then fitted on this blade because of the similarity of material and subject matter.