Lot Essay
Toshitsune is a descendant of Masatsune.
Details
A KO-BIZEN TACHI
HEIAN PERIOD (CIRCA 1080), SIGNED TOSHITSUNE
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and small point (ko-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 9 bu (69.4cm.); curvature (sori): strong koshi-zori of 2.3cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.1cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): irregular clove-like patterns (choji midare) in fine nioi with some kinsuji and inazuma and with yakidashi at the hamachi.
Point (boshi): small and rounded (ko-maru) with almost no turn-back.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): regular and slightly shortened (suriage); file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): squared (kirijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): three; signature (tachimei): Toshitsune.
Shirasaya with attestation signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).
Uchigatana-koshirae, Edo period (19th century), comprising: a saya lacquered with alternating black and maroon spiralling stripes; a tsuka mounted with Mino Goto shakudo fuchi-kashira carved with dragons amidst clouds, unsigned; a pair of shakudo menuki in the form of kirin; a Higo tsuba decorated in gold nunome with foliage in the style of Nakane Heihachiro (circa 1850), unsigned--overall length of koshirae 97.0cm.; length of tsuka 24cm.; tsuba height 8cm., width 7.7cm., thickness 5mm.
Accompanied by a juyo token certificate, issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 50 (1975).
HEIAN PERIOD (CIRCA 1080), SIGNED TOSHITSUNE
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and small point (ko-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 9 bu (69.4cm.); curvature (sori): strong koshi-zori of 2.3cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.1cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): irregular clove-like patterns (choji midare) in fine nioi with some kinsuji and inazuma and with yakidashi at the hamachi.
Point (boshi): small and rounded (ko-maru) with almost no turn-back.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): regular and slightly shortened (suriage); file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): squared (kirijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): three; signature (tachimei): Toshitsune.
Shirasaya with attestation signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).
Uchigatana-koshirae, Edo period (19th century), comprising: a saya lacquered with alternating black and maroon spiralling stripes; a tsuka mounted with Mino Goto shakudo fuchi-kashira carved with dragons amidst clouds, unsigned; a pair of shakudo menuki in the form of kirin; a Higo tsuba decorated in gold nunome with foliage in the style of Nakane Heihachiro (circa 1850), unsigned--overall length of koshirae 97.0cm.; length of tsuka 24cm.; tsuba height 8cm., width 7.7cm., thickness 5mm.
Accompanied by a juyo token certificate, issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 50 (1975).
Literature
Juyo token to zufu, vol. 23.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 3.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 3.