Details
A BIZEN KATANA
THE BLADE MUROMACHI PERIOD, DATED 1571, SIGNED BIZEN [NO] KUNI [NO] JU OSAFUNE SUKESADA SAKU
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and elongated medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 2.5 bu (67.7cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 1.7cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.0cm.; carving (horimono): kaku-dome bo-hi on both sides extending 40 into the tang.
Forging pattern (jihada): mokume becoming slightly masame in the monouchi.
Tempering pattern (hamon): chu-suguba with insinuations of 'swept sands' (sunagashi) towards the hamachi in rather subdued ko-nie, there are also some tobiyaki, paticularly below the omote monouchi hi.
Point (boshi): komidare-komi hakikake with minimal kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): wide, Bizen type and slightly shortened (suriage); file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two (one hyotan); signature (katanamei): Bizen [no] Kuni [no] ju Osafune Sukesada saku, dated Genki 2 (1571), 8th month, an auspicious day.
Itomaki no tachi koshirae, the mounts dated 1867 and signed Goto Mitsuhisa with kao, comprising: a lacquer saya decorated in gold hiramaki-e on a fundame ground with the mon of the Toyama daimyo, mounted with full shakudo nanako tachi mounts with raised gold borders emblazoned in medium relief gold with the same mon; a pair of gold menuki in the form of the two mon; a tsuba signed on the ji, Kei-o san-nen chushu tachi kaigu kore-o hori rakuhoku kyo Goto Mitsuhisa with kao (In mid-autumn of Kei-o 3 [1867] Goto Mitsuhisa made the complete set of tachi fittings at his dwelling in Rakuhoku [northern Kyoto]).-- Length of koshirae 99.3cm.; length of tsuka 22.7cm.; tsuba height 8.3 cm., width 7.8cm., thickness 13mm. Slight dents and chips to the saya.
Silk storage bags. (2)
THE BLADE MUROMACHI PERIOD, DATED 1571, SIGNED BIZEN [NO] KUNI [NO] JU OSAFUNE SUKESADA SAKU
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and elongated medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 2.5 bu (67.7cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 1.7cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.0cm.; carving (horimono): kaku-dome bo-hi on both sides extending 40 into the tang.
Forging pattern (jihada): mokume becoming slightly masame in the monouchi.
Tempering pattern (hamon): chu-suguba with insinuations of 'swept sands' (sunagashi) towards the hamachi in rather subdued ko-nie, there are also some tobiyaki, paticularly below the omote monouchi hi.
Point (boshi): komidare-komi hakikake with minimal kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): wide, Bizen type and slightly shortened (suriage); file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two (one hyotan); signature (katanamei): Bizen [no] Kuni [no] ju Osafune Sukesada saku, dated Genki 2 (1571), 8th month, an auspicious day.
Itomaki no tachi koshirae, the mounts dated 1867 and signed Goto Mitsuhisa with kao, comprising: a lacquer saya decorated in gold hiramaki-e on a fundame ground with the mon of the Toyama daimyo, mounted with full shakudo nanako tachi mounts with raised gold borders emblazoned in medium relief gold with the same mon; a pair of gold menuki in the form of the two mon; a tsuba signed on the ji, Kei-o san-nen chushu tachi kaigu kore-o hori rakuhoku kyo Goto Mitsuhisa with kao (In mid-autumn of Kei-o 3 [1867] Goto Mitsuhisa made the complete set of tachi fittings at his dwelling in Rakuhoku [northern Kyoto]).-- Length of koshirae 99.3cm.; length of tsuka 22.7cm.; tsuba height 8.3 cm., width 7.8cm., thickness 13mm. Slight dents and chips to the saya.
Silk storage bags. (2)
Provenance
Douglas J.K. Wright, London.