Lot Essay
Yasumitsu I, son of Shigeyoshi III, was one of the 'Three Mitsus' (Sanmitsu) of the Bizen Oei period.
BIZEN: BIZEN
A BIZEN WAKIZASHI
Details
A BIZEN WAKIZASHI
MUROMACHI PERIOD, DATED OEI 34 (1427), SIGNED BISHU OSAFUNE YASUMITSU
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 7 sun, 4 bu (52.8cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 1.0cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.1cm.; carving (horimono): futatsu ji-hi on either side.
Forging pattern (jihada): dense wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): small invections and irregularities (gonome midare) with 'swept sands' (sunagashi), all in excellent, bright nie.
Point (boshi): midare-komi.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): Bizen, ubu and with a soft, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): sloping (sujikai); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kuri-jiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two; signature (katanamei): Bishu Osafune Yasumitsu; date (jidai): Oei 34-nen 2-gatsu (2nd month of Oei 34 [1427]).
Shirasaya.
Silk storage bag.
Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 144661, Showa 43 (1968), issued by the N.B.T.H.K.
MUROMACHI PERIOD, DATED OEI 34 (1427), SIGNED BISHU OSAFUNE YASUMITSU
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 7 sun, 4 bu (52.8cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 1.0cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 1.1cm.; carving (horimono): futatsu ji-hi on either side.
Forging pattern (jihada): dense wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): small invections and irregularities (gonome midare) with 'swept sands' (sunagashi), all in excellent, bright nie.
Point (boshi): midare-komi.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): Bizen, ubu and with a soft, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): sloping (sujikai); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kuri-jiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two; signature (katanamei): Bishu Osafune Yasumitsu; date (jidai): Oei 34-nen 2-gatsu (2nd month of Oei 34 [1427]).
Shirasaya.
Silk storage bag.
Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 144661, Showa 43 (1968), issued by the N.B.T.H.K.
Provenance
Masakata Katayama, New York