Lot Essay
The tsuba (Hotel Drouot, Paris, 1960, lot 56) was already in the Compton collection when this blade was purchased and was fitted on this blade because of the similarity of material and subject matter.
Details
A LATER SATSUMA MASAFUSA WAKIZASHI
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1715), SIGNED (AOIMON) MONDO (NO) SHO MASAKIYO (ATTRIBUTED TO MASAKIYO I)
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), and large point (o-gissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 2 sun, 9 bu (39.3cm.); curvature (sori): torii-zori of 1.1cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.8cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): very compact wood grain (itame). Tempering pattern (hamon): notare with a very profuse number of nie.
Point (boshi): inside (ura): pointed brush tip (hakikake), outside (omote): broad brush tip (hakikake), both with long kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): tapering and with a very dry, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): iri-yamagata; holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (katanamei): (Aoimon) Mondo (no) Sho Masakiyo.
Shirasaya.
Wakizashi-koshirae comprising: a red and black saya made to simulate straight wood grain; green-wrapped tsuka with copper and gold menuki of persimmons (kaki) and fitted with a pair of shibuichi fuchi kashira carved shishiaibori with gold highlights depicting the Eight Sennin, signed Isseido Joi, but possibly a copy by Taizan Motozane; a similar shibuichi tsuba with an ishime ground carved in shishiaibori with gold highlights depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, signed on an inlaid silver panel, Otsuryuken Miboku (Hamano)--length of koshirae 59.5cm.; length of tsuka 14.3cm.; diameter of tsuba 7.1cm.
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1715), SIGNED (AOIMON) MONDO (NO) SHO MASAKIYO (ATTRIBUTED TO MASAKIYO I)
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), and large point (o-gissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 2 sun, 9 bu (39.3cm.); curvature (sori): torii-zori of 1.1cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.8cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): very compact wood grain (itame). Tempering pattern (hamon): notare with a very profuse number of nie.
Point (boshi): inside (ura): pointed brush tip (hakikake), outside (omote): broad brush tip (hakikake), both with long kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): tapering and with a very dry, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): iri-yamagata; holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (katanamei): (Aoimon) Mondo (no) Sho Masakiyo.
Shirasaya.
Wakizashi-koshirae comprising: a red and black saya made to simulate straight wood grain; green-wrapped tsuka with copper and gold menuki of persimmons (kaki) and fitted with a pair of shibuichi fuchi kashira carved shishiaibori with gold highlights depicting the Eight Sennin, signed Isseido Joi, but possibly a copy by Taizan Motozane; a similar shibuichi tsuba with an ishime ground carved in shishiaibori with gold highlights depicting the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, signed on an inlaid silver panel, Otsuryuken Miboku (Hamano)--length of koshirae 59.5cm.; length of tsuka 14.3cm.; diameter of tsuba 7.1cm.
Provenance
Fairclough, London