SIGNED KUNIHIRO ZO, TENSHO 16-NEN 2-GATSU SAKUJITSU (1588), JIEUEMON SA SHOJI, EARLY MOMOYAMA PERIOD

Details

A Horikawa School Tanto
Signed Kunihiro zo, Tensho 16-nen 2-gatsu sakujitsu (1588), Jieuemon Sa shoji, Early Momoyama Period
Sugata [configuration]: hirazukuri, iori-mune

Kitae [forging pattern]: tight o-itame with o-hada, jinie, shirake-utsuri

Hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome notare of konie with mizukage, sunagashi, nie towards kissaki

Boshi [tip]: ko-maru with togari

Horimono [carvings]: dragon and ken on omote toward centre on omote bonji on ura

Nakago [tang]: ubu, two holes

Habaki [collar]: double, gold

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 23.8cm.

Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 2.5cm.

Provenance

Aoyama Kokichi

Literature

Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai, Kunihiro Taikan (Tokyo, 1954), cat. no. 11, p. 9

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium

Lot Essay

Horikawa Kunihiro (d. 1614) was the foremost pupil of Umetada Myoju, and worked in Kyoto for some years. His diverse styles follow the Yamashiro, Mino, and especially the Soshu koto traditions. In 1590 he received the title Shinano no kami. He taught many important early shinto smiths, including Izumi no kami Kunisada, Dewa daijo Fujiwara Kunimichi, Echigo no kami Kunitomo, Horikawa Kuniyasu and Heianjo Hiroyuki, and there are said to have been three further generations of his family.

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