Lot Essay
The Imai group of metalworkers worked in Kyoto and were probably Goto derivatives; Hisanori, whose go was Bunkakusai, was working c. 1845.
Details
A MINO SEKI O-TANTO
MUROMACHI PERIOD (FIRST HALF 16TH CENTURY), SIGNED KANEFUSA AND WITH ELABORATE SHAKUDO NANAKO MOUNTS SIGNED IMAI HISANORI AND KAO
Sugata: ohira-zukuri with iori-mune: nagasa: 1 shaku, 9 bu (33.1 cm.); sori of 0.4 cm.; horimono: kaki-nagashi bo-hi on both sides. Jihada: itame. Hamon: notare in nioi. Boshi: chu-maru with short kaeri. Nakago: ubu, tapering and with a moist, brown patina; yasurime: o-sujikai; nakagojiri: kuri-jiri; mekugi-ana: four (one plugged copper); mei: Kanefusa.
Akagi-goshirae comprising: a roiro saya [crack and some scratches] emblazoned with kiri-mon executed in fundame hiramaki-e, nashiji, okibirame and usu-nashiji; all mounts (fuchi-kashira, tsukatsutsugane (band encircling the midsection of the tsuka), koiguchi, uragawara, kaeri, kurikata, sayadogane (sleeve at the top of the saya), kojiri and kozuka) executed in extremely fine-grained shakudo nanako emblazoned with gold kiri-mon [some light rubbing and scratching, especially to the kojiri]; tsuba and menuki missing; the tsuka itself is fitted with two silver sleeves, delicately engraved itobori and shishiaibori with kiri-mon and scrolling foliage; fuchi signed Imai Hisanori and kao.
MUROMACHI PERIOD (FIRST HALF 16TH CENTURY), SIGNED KANEFUSA AND WITH ELABORATE SHAKUDO NANAKO MOUNTS SIGNED IMAI HISANORI AND KAO
Sugata: ohira-zukuri with iori-mune: nagasa: 1 shaku, 9 bu (33.1 cm.); sori of 0.4 cm.; horimono: kaki-nagashi bo-hi on both sides. Jihada: itame. Hamon: notare in nioi. Boshi: chu-maru with short kaeri. Nakago: ubu, tapering and with a moist, brown patina; yasurime: o-sujikai; nakagojiri: kuri-jiri; mekugi-ana: four (one plugged copper); mei: Kanefusa.
Akagi-goshirae comprising: a roiro saya [crack and some scratches] emblazoned with kiri-mon executed in fundame hiramaki-e, nashiji, okibirame and usu-nashiji; all mounts (fuchi-kashira, tsukatsutsugane (band encircling the midsection of the tsuka), koiguchi, uragawara, kaeri, kurikata, sayadogane (sleeve at the top of the saya), kojiri and kozuka) executed in extremely fine-grained shakudo nanako emblazoned with gold kiri-mon [some light rubbing and scratching, especially to the kojiri]; tsuba and menuki missing; the tsuka itself is fitted with two silver sleeves, delicately engraved itobori and shishiaibori with kiri-mon and scrolling foliage; fuchi signed Imai Hisanori and kao.