A SOSHU ICHIMONJI TACHI

SOSHU--KAMAKURA ICHIMONJI

Details

A SOSHU ICHIMONJI TACHI
KAMAKURA PERIOD (CIRCA 1250), SIGNED SUKEZANE (KAMAKURA ICHIMONJI SUKEZANE)

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 3 sun, 1.5 bu (70.2cm.); curvature (sori): torii-zori of 2.5cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.9cm. Forging pattern (jihada): wood grain (itame) with some chikei.
Tempering pattern (hamon): exuberant choji and o-choji predominantly of nioi plus some 'legs' (ashi); resembling an Ichimonji hamon in general configuration.
Point (boshi): midare-komi with slight hakikake and with a long turn-back.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): squared and shortened (suriage), but with a moist, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): squared (kirijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): four; signature (tachimei): Sukezane.

Shirasaya.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate issued by the N.B.T.H.K., no. 1983; and a nihon token kenkyukai origami, no. 5762.

Provenance

Uesugi family (purported)

Lot Essay

There are very few extant blades by Sukezane and the three best known include two National Treasures and an Important Art Object. They are the Nikko Sukezane in the Tokugawa Collection, another in the Kishu Tokugawa Collection and one in the Mitsui Collection

Commonly called Togenji, Sukezane was the son of Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukefusa. In 1249, because of a lack of notable swordsmiths, he wa ordered by the bakufu to move to Kamakura together with Goro Kunimune of Bizen and Awataguchi Kunitsuna of Kyoto. The three laid to foundation of the Kamakura Kaji school of swordmaking.