Lot Essay
This blade was commissioned by Dr. Compton.
Details
A BIZEN OSAFUNE TACHI
DATED 1960, SIGNED BIZEN (NO) KUNI OSAFUNE (NO) JU FUJIWARA TOSHIMITSU [B. 1898] TSUKURU
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 3 sun, 8.5 bu (72.6cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 2.1cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.8cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): fine wood grain (ko-itame) and with some ji-nie.
Tempering pattern (hamon): a wide hamon of invections and clove patterns (gonome choji) and with some tadpole-shaped cloves (kawazuko-choji), all executed in nioi and ko-nie.
Point (boshi): small rounded (ko-maru).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): Bizen and with no patina; file marks (yasurime): kiri-yasuri; end (nakagojiri): rounded (kuri-jiri); holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (tachimei): Bizen (no) Kuni Osafune (no) ju Fujiwara Toshimitsu tsukuru; inside (ura): Sama (Honorable) Dr. Walter A. Compton; date (jidai): Showa 35-nen satsuki kichi-shin (auspicious year of the dragon the 5th month of Showa 35 [1960]).
Shirasaya.
Silk storage bag.
DATED 1960, SIGNED BIZEN (NO) KUNI OSAFUNE (NO) JU FUJIWARA TOSHIMITSU [B. 1898] TSUKURU
Configuration (sugata): with longitudinal ridge line (shinogi-zukuri), shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and medium point (chu-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 3 sun, 8.5 bu (72.6cm.); curvature (sori): koshi-zori of 2.1cm.; increase in width of blade (fumbari): 0.8cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): fine wood grain (ko-itame) and with some ji-nie.
Tempering pattern (hamon): a wide hamon of invections and clove patterns (gonome choji) and with some tadpole-shaped cloves (kawazuko-choji), all executed in nioi and ko-nie.
Point (boshi): small rounded (ko-maru).
Tang (nakago). Shape (keitai): Bizen and with no patina; file marks (yasurime): kiri-yasuri; end (nakagojiri): rounded (kuri-jiri); holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (tachimei): Bizen (no) Kuni Osafune (no) ju Fujiwara Toshimitsu tsukuru; inside (ura): Sama (Honorable) Dr. Walter A. Compton; date (jidai): Showa 35-nen satsuki kichi-shin (auspicious year of the dragon the 5th month of Showa 35 [1960]).
Shirasaya.
Silk storage bag.