Details
A KYO HORIKAWA TANTO
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1620), SIGNED DEWA DAIJO FUJIWARA KUNIMICHI (ATTRIBUTED TO KUNIMICHI I)

Configuration (sugata): of flat, wedge section (hira-zukuri) with tri-bevelled back (mitsu-mune); length (nagasa): 9 sun, 6 bu (29.3cm.); curvature (sori): unsigned (muzori).
Forging pattern (jihada): a free and rather rough wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): irregular and invected patterns (gonome midare) in both small and rather large nie (ko-nie and ara-nie), the larger nie appearing like mille-feuilles in the omote monouchi.
Point (boshi): of almost a sanpin boshi shape, being almost straight on the underside and with a moderate kaeri, sagging in the middle and straightening to reach a very small point (ko-maru) with an insinuation of a brush tip (hakikake).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): regular and tapering; file marks (yasurime): strongly sloping (sujikai); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kuri-jiri); holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (katana-mei): Dewa Daijo Fujiwara Kunimichi.

Shirasaya.

Silk storage bag.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 5500106, Showa 55 (1980); and a koshu tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 19514, Showa 55 (1980), issued by the N.B.T.H.K.
Provenance
Dr. J. Naemura, Portland, Oregon

Lot Essay

Born in 1576, Kunimichi was a student of Ichijo Horikawa. He lived into his seventies and is known for having worked in a variety of styles, but is best known for his So-den work, of which this tanto is a typical example.

A date of circa 1620 has been given to this blade based on several characteristics of the chiseling style of the signature. Kunimichi did not receive the title Dewa Daijo until 1616 and at that time his signature (the "michi" in particular) was written in cursive style. Within four years, the chiseling of "michi" had started to become block-like. The kanji on this blade exhibits a transitional block configuration which was to become more emphatically blockish by the first year of Kan-ei (1624).

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