Lot Essay
Hankei, also known as Kiyotaka, was a gunsmith during the first quarter of the 17th Century. His early signatures were Nihon zen Kiyotaka, Hankei and Ono Hankei. His style was based on the works of Etchu Norishige. He is known for producing blades with a shallow curvature and a wide, Soshu-style hamon with o-itame forging and o-midare tempering patterns having prominent nie and (as in this example) extensive sunagashi and kinsuji.
The prow-form jiri in Hankei's work was usually slightly bevelled underneath. The small flattened point at the end of the jiri also appears in all of the Hankei blades which are accepted as genuine.
Isso saku, of the Kanahara family, was born in Kishu in 1834, and was a student of Goto Ichijo in 1851. He became a retainer of the Kishu Tokugawa family, and lived in Osaka in his later life (date of death unknown).
The prow-form jiri in Hankei's work was usually slightly bevelled underneath. The small flattened point at the end of the jiri also appears in all of the Hankei blades which are accepted as genuine.
Isso saku, of the Kanahara family, was born in Kishu in 1834, and was a student of Goto Ichijo in 1851. He became a retainer of the Kishu Tokugawa family, and lived in Osaka in his later life (date of death unknown).