AN ECHIZEN SHIMOSAKA TANTO.

Details

AN ECHIZEN SHIMOSAKA TANTO.
EDO PERIOD (CIRCA 1615), WITH RED LACQUER ATTESTATION BY SATO KANZAN TO YASUTSUGU I

Configuration (sugata): of flat, wedge section (hira-zukuri) with tri-bevelled back (mitsu-mune); length (nagasa): 1 shaku (30.3cm.); carving (horimono): inside (ura): unusual comnfiguration of naginata-hi ni tsure-hi; outside (omote): kurikara.
Forging pattern (jihada): a brilliantly textured pear skin (nashiji) approaching crêpe (chirimen).
Tempering pattern (hamon): gentle rollings (notare) with a lavish display of nie and scatterings of 'swept sands' (sunagashi) and kinsuji along the hamon.
Point (boshi): midare-komi terminating in an elongated pointed brush (hakikake) with long kaeri.
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): ship's bottom (funagata), probably ubu and with a dry, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): kiri-yasuri; end (nakagojiri): V (kengyo); signature (mei): outside (omote): red lacquer (shumei): Yasutsugu; inside (ura): red lacquer (shumei): Kanzan with kakihan.

Shirasaya with attestation by Sato Kanzan.

Silk storage bag.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 355462, Showa 53 (1978); and a koshu tokubetsu kicho token certificate, no. 14714, Showa 53 (1978), issued by the N.B.T.H.K.

Provenance

John Gottschalk, St. Petersburg, Florida

Lot Essay

Born in Shimosaka, Omi Province, and later moving to Hokusho in Echizen, Yasutsugu was originally called Shimosaka. In 1606 he was given the honor of using the Tokugawa aoimon and the character "yasu" from Tokugawa Ieyasu's name. See lot 311 in this sale for a replica of the ko-wakizashi he made to commemorate this event.

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