AN OSAKA IKKANSHI STYLE WAKIZASHI

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AN OSAKA IKKANSHI STYLE WAKIZASHI
EDO PERIOD, DATED GENROKU 5 (1692), INSCRIBED AWATAGUCHI IKKANSHI TADATSUNA

Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and large point (o-kissaki); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 2 sun, 8 bu (38.7cm.); curvature (sori): torii-zori of 1.0cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.5cm.; carving (horimono): inside (ura): goma-bashi and bonji; outside (omote): kurikara.
Forging pattern (jihada): rough wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): rolling invected (gonome) in nie and with some 'swept sands' (sunagashi).
Point (boshi): medium round (chu-maru).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): tapering with an upswept bottom and with a dry, brown patina; end (nakagojiri): ha-agari kuri-jiri; holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (katanamei): Awataguchi Ikkanshi Tadatsuna.
Shirasaya.

A Higo style koshirae (late Edo period) comprising: a gold nashiji saya inlaid with scales and emblazoned in gold lacquer with jo-mon of the Konoe and Hayashi families, fitted with matching silver kurikata, koiguchi and kojiri applied in silver and gold with cherry blossoms and maple leaves; the kurikata is signed Issho and the kojiri is signed Issho with kao; the green-wrapped tsuka is set with kurikara in copper and silver and a pair of shakudo nanako fuchi-kashira applied with gold dragons, unsigned, Mino Goto school; the gilt nanako tsuba is decorated with raised asa-no-ha on a nanako ground, unsigned; the silver kogai applied with a flowering branch in shakudo, gold and silver, signed Botan menuki-sou (Associated with peony menuki) and dated Meiji 3 (1870); the shakudo nanako o-kozuka (probably a replacement of a lost original) is applied in shakudo and gold with a tiger and celestial dragon, unsigned (tsuba with heavily dented edge)--length of koshirae 59.5cm.; length of tsuka 14.8cm.; length of kozuka 11.4cm.; length of kogai 15.2cm.; diameter of tsuba 7.2cm.

Accompanied by a tokubetsu kicho koshirae certificate, no. 148, Showa 53 (1978); and a koshu tokubetsu kicho koshirae certificate, no. 15520, Showa 53 (1978), issued by the N.B.T.H.K.

Silk and silk brocade storage bags.

Lot Essay

Nakagawa Issho (1829-1876), second son of Katsutsugu, 8th master of the Nakagawa family school, took the name of Issho in 1857. He became a student of Goto Ichijo in 1849, and was a carver for the Matsudaira family until 1868.

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