A BIZEN OSAFUNE KODACHI

細節
A BIZEN OSAFUNE KODACHI
KAMAKURA PERIOD (CIRCA 1290), SIGNED NAGAMITSU

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 7 sun, 9 bu (54.3cm.); curvature (sori): exceptionally strong torii-zori of 1.9cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.0cm.; carving (horimono): bo-hi with squared ends (kaku-dome) on both sides.
Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain pattern (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): clove-like patterns (choji) mixed with midare, composed of bright nioi and scattered with frequent 'legs' (ashi) and yo.
Point (boshi): yakizume with almost no turn-back.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): very slightly shortened (ko-suriage) and with a slightly moist brown patina; file marks (yasurime): indistinct, probably slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): squared (kirijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): three; signature (tachimei): Nagamitsu.

Shirasaya with attestation signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).

Accompanied by a juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 50 (1975).
出版
Juyo token to zufu, vol. 23
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 13.

拍品專文

Junkei Nagamitsu was the son of Mitsutada and nephew of Kagehide. His blades can be divided into two groups: early blades which are wide with an active choji pattern; and later blades which are slender with suguba tempering line . Nagamitsu I used either a simple two-character signature (nijimei) or a long signature (nagamei), e.g. Bizen [no] Kuni Osafune Nagamitsu tsukuru. Signatures containing 'Sakon-Shogen' may be his, but in all probability, they should be assigned to Nagamitsu II.

Kodachi of less than 60cm. appeared in large numbers at the end of the 13th century. The majority of examples are from Yamashiro and Osafune, and it appears that production was restricted mainly to these two groups within a relatively short period. This example probably dates from circa 1290. One theory holds that a kedachi served as a secondary sword to the tachi, not unlike the function of the future wakizashi in a daisho.