SIGNED KATANA MEI NOBUYOSHI, LATE KAMAKURA PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)

Details

A Yamato School Tachi
Signed katana mei Nobuyoshi, Late Kamakura Period (14th Century)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, chu-kissaki, shallow toriizori, high shinogi

Kitae [forging pattern]: some running itame, masame on shinogi, jinie

Hamon [tempering pattern]: suguha, kin-suji, uchinoke, chikei
Boshi [tip]: ko-maru

Nakago [tang]: suriage, kiri file marks, three holes (one plugged)

Habaki [collar]: double, copper-gilt, carved with dragon and cloud
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 72.8cm.

Sori [curvature]: 1.5cm.

Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 3cm.

Sakihaba [width before tip]: 2.1cm.

Literature

The Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings, Tokubetsu ten, Koto Meisaku ten, Tosogu Meihin Ten (Tokyo, 1999), cat.no.5, p.5

The Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings, Tokubetsu ten, Kamakura Jidai no Meito Ten (Tokyo, 2001), cat no.6, p.11

Exhibited

Tokubetsu ten, Koto Meisaku ten, Tosogu Meihin Ten [Special Exhibition, Masterpieces of Early Swords and Sword Fittings], The Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings, Tokyo, September 1999

Tokubetsu ten, Kamakura Jidai no Meito Ten [Special Exhibition, Masterpieces of Swords in Kamakura Period), The Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings, Tokyo, April 2001

Special notice

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Lot Essay

Ryumon Nobuyoshi active around the Shoho era (1288-93), believed to have worked near the site of the Ryumonji temple in Yoshino, and is of the Yamato Senjuin lineage. One of his swords is a National Treasure and one an Important Cultural Property.
There are few signed works by the smith, but they do include examples of katana-mei, like this blade. This signature is one of the three types known - that on the National Treasure with the 'masa' component in the form of an 'E', another with the 'masa' of urizane [gourd type] of oval appearance, and this signature with the 'masa' in the form of a 'G'.

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