A BIZEN OSAFUNE SCHOOL TACHI

Details

A BIZEN OSAFUNE SCHOOL TACHI
KAMAKURA PERIOD (CIRCA 1320), SIGNED BISHU OSAFUNE CHIKAKAGE

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 5 sun, 2 bu (76.5cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 2.0cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.2cm.; carving (horimono): a wide and narrow hi (bo-hi ni tsure-hi) with maru-dome on both sides.
Forging pattern (jihada): small wood grain pattern (ko-itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): suguba in nioi with box-shaped clove outlines (hako-choji) and numerous scattered 'legs' (ashi), giving the tempering a subtle and fluid configuration, heightened by kinsuji.
Point (boshi): small and rounded (ko-maru).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): shortened (suriage) and shaved down slightly on the back, but with a moist, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): squared (kirijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): four; signature (tachimei): Bishu Osafune Chikakage.

Shirasaya with attestation signed Kunzan (Homma Junji).

Koshirae comprising: a black lacquer saya; a tsuka with menuki formed as snow covered orange branches and plain fuchi-kashira; a shakudo tsuba en suite; shakudo nanako kogai and kozuka decorated with fruiting mandarin orange trees covered in snow--length of koshirae 102.5cm.; length of tsuka 22cm.; tsuba height 7.8cm., width 7.6 cm., thickness 7mm.; length of kogai 21.2cm.; length of kozuka 9.8cm.

Wood storage box. Silk and cotton storage bags.

Accompanied by a juyo token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., dated Showa 42 (1967); and an origami by Honnami Kojo, dated Enpo 2 (1672).

Provenance

Makino family, daimyo of Tanabe, Tamba

Literature

Juyo token to zufu, vol. 16.
One Hundred Masterpieces (1992), no. 16.

Lot Essay

A disciple of Junkei Nagamitsu, Chikakage is recorded as having worked from the Bunpo era (1317-1318) until either the Kenmu era (1334-1335) or the Jowa era (1345-1349). Similarities in their signatures suggest that Chikakage was a contemporary of Kagemitsu and that they worked closely together. Chikakage's work appears less regimented than that of Kagemitsu's as seen in the free forms of the tempering in this example.