Details
A KOTO BIZEN DAISHO
MUROMACHI PERIOD. DAI PROBABLY EARLY 16TH CENTURY, SHO DATED DAIEI 6 (1526) AND SIGNED BIZEN (NO) KUNI (NO) JU OSAFUNE JIROZAEMON (NO) JO KATSUMITSU AND ONAJI SAKYO (NO) SHIN MUNEMITSU, ATTRIBUTED TO KATSUMITSU V AND MUNEMITSU V.
DAI:Configuration (sugata): an Ichimonji style naginata-naoshi with shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and large point (o-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 8.3 bu (69.1 cm.); curvature (sori): 1.5 cm.; carving (horimono), both of later date (atobori): inside (ura): futatsu-hi; outside (omote): koshi-hi.
Forging pattern (jihada): predominantly a very elegant, open burl grain (mokume), but with some normal wood grain (itame), straightening almost to masame, particularly in the ura monouchi.
Tempering pattern (hamon): in the style of the Fukuoka Ichimonji kaji of the first half of the 14th Century, a crisp series of small irregular patterns (komidare) mixed with some clove patterns (choji) in ko-nie and nioi, all springing from areas of deep 'swept sands' (sunagashi) near the hamachi.
Point (boshi): irregular patterns (midare-komi) with some sunagashi and finishing in a brushed tip (hakikake)
Tang (nakago) shape (keitai): shortened (suriage) and with a semi-moist brown patina; file marks (yasurime): sloping (sujikai); end (nakagojiri): ha-agari kuri-jiri; holes (mekugi-ana): two (one being a shinobi-ana, a secondary hole near the jiri for additional security); signature (mei): none (mumei). [There are some scattered surface stains and inactive rust; some scattered internal laminations are visible on the shinogi-ji and there is a 1 cm. flaw inside the omote hi beginning 16 cm. from the mune-machi.]
SHO: Configuration (sugata): nagamaki with shallow peaked back (iori-mune); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 7 sun (51.5 cm.); curvature (sori): 1.2 cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): very tightly compacted wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): narrow suguba with extremely small irregular configurations (komidare) in nioi and ko-nie, all highlighted along the lower 2/3 of the hamon with extensive 'swept sands' (sunagashi).
Point (boshi): small rounded (ko-maru) with almost no turn-back.
Tang (nakago) shape (keitai): Bizen, ubu and with a dry, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): ha-agari kuri-jiri; holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (mei), katana-mei: Bizen (no) Kuni Osafune Jirozaemon (no) Jo Katsumitsu and Onaji Sakyo (no) Shin Munemitsu; date (jidai): Daiei 6-nen 8-gatsu hi (a day in the 87th month of Daiei 6 [1526]). [Surface with some superficial stains and scratches.]
Daisho koshirae comprising: black lacquer saya [some chips and scratches]; a shakudo nanako kozuka in Goto style depicting a seaside battle, probably 18th Century, unsigned; a pair of iron daisho tsuba pierced and molded with Yamabushi amidst pines and waterfalls, gold highlights, both signed Goshu Hikone (no) ju Mitsuyoshi; the black wrapped tsuka are fitted with: a pair of daisho menuki in shakudo and gold matching the kozuka in style and depicting armed men; a pair of daisho fuchi-kashira in shibuichi and molded in shakudo and gold depicting Yoshitsune and Benkei and Yoshitsune and Sojobo, the King of the Tengu, early 19th Century, unsigned.--Length of koshirae 98.4, 71.3 cm., length of tsuka 23.5, 16.2 cm., diameter of tsuba 7.9, 7.3 cm. (2)
MUROMACHI PERIOD. DAI PROBABLY EARLY 16TH CENTURY, SHO DATED DAIEI 6 (1526) AND SIGNED BIZEN (NO) KUNI (NO) JU OSAFUNE JIROZAEMON (NO) JO KATSUMITSU AND ONAJI SAKYO (NO) SHIN MUNEMITSU, ATTRIBUTED TO KATSUMITSU V AND MUNEMITSU V.
DAI:Configuration (sugata): an Ichimonji style naginata-naoshi with shallow peaked back (iori-mune) and large point (o-kissaki); length (nagasa): 2 shaku, 2 sun, 8.3 bu (69.1 cm.); curvature (sori): 1.5 cm.; carving (horimono), both of later date (atobori): inside (ura): futatsu-hi; outside (omote): koshi-hi.
Forging pattern (jihada): predominantly a very elegant, open burl grain (mokume), but with some normal wood grain (itame), straightening almost to masame, particularly in the ura monouchi.
Tempering pattern (hamon): in the style of the Fukuoka Ichimonji kaji of the first half of the 14th Century, a crisp series of small irregular patterns (komidare) mixed with some clove patterns (choji) in ko-nie and nioi, all springing from areas of deep 'swept sands' (sunagashi) near the hamachi.
Point (boshi): irregular patterns (midare-komi) with some sunagashi and finishing in a brushed tip (hakikake)
Tang (nakago) shape (keitai): shortened (suriage) and with a semi-moist brown patina; file marks (yasurime): sloping (sujikai); end (nakagojiri): ha-agari kuri-jiri; holes (mekugi-ana): two (one being a shinobi-ana, a secondary hole near the jiri for additional security); signature (mei): none (mumei). [There are some scattered surface stains and inactive rust; some scattered internal laminations are visible on the shinogi-ji and there is a 1 cm. flaw inside the omote hi beginning 16 cm. from the mune-machi.]
SHO: Configuration (sugata): nagamaki with shallow peaked back (iori-mune); length (nagasa): 1 shaku, 7 sun (51.5 cm.); curvature (sori): 1.2 cm.
Forging pattern (jihada): very tightly compacted wood grain (itame).
Tempering pattern (hamon): narrow suguba with extremely small irregular configurations (komidare) in nioi and ko-nie, all highlighted along the lower 2/3 of the hamon with extensive 'swept sands' (sunagashi).
Point (boshi): small rounded (ko-maru) with almost no turn-back.
Tang (nakago) shape (keitai): Bizen, ubu and with a dry, brown patina; file marks (yasurime): slanted (katte-sagari); end (nakagojiri): ha-agari kuri-jiri; holes (mekugi-ana): one; signature (mei), katana-mei: Bizen (no) Kuni Osafune Jirozaemon (no) Jo Katsumitsu and Onaji Sakyo (no) Shin Munemitsu; date (jidai): Daiei 6-nen 8-gatsu hi (a day in the 87th month of Daiei 6 [1526]). [Surface with some superficial stains and scratches.]
Daisho koshirae comprising: black lacquer saya [some chips and scratches]; a shakudo nanako kozuka in Goto style depicting a seaside battle, probably 18th Century, unsigned; a pair of iron daisho tsuba pierced and molded with Yamabushi amidst pines and waterfalls, gold highlights, both signed Goshu Hikone (no) ju Mitsuyoshi; the black wrapped tsuka are fitted with: a pair of daisho menuki in shakudo and gold matching the kozuka in style and depicting armed men; a pair of daisho fuchi-kashira in shibuichi and molded in shakudo and gold depicting Yoshitsune and Benkei and Yoshitsune and Sojobo, the King of the Tengu, early 19th Century, unsigned.--Length of koshirae 98.4, 71.3 cm., length of tsuka 23.5, 16.2 cm., diameter of tsuba 7.9, 7.3 cm. (2)
Provenance
Ferdinand de Salis, Swiss Minister Plenipotentiary to Japan, 1915-1921 and by descent to the present owner.