A mounted Bizen Katana
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A mounted Bizen Katana

ATTRIBUTED TO CHOGI (NAGAYOSHI) OF OSAFUNE, NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)

Details
A mounted Bizen Katana
ATTRIBUTED TO CHOGI (NAGAYOSHI) OF OSAFUNE, NAMBOKUCHO PERIOD (14TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: Honzukuri, iorimune, high shinogi, even curved, o-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: Tight itame with mokume and nagare and fine ji-nie, jifu, utsuri, masame on the shinogiji Hamon [tempering pattern]: O-choji midare with gunome, ashi, yo, tobiyaki merging into jifu of ko-nie
Boshi [tip]: Midarekomi and komaru
Nakago [tang]: O-suriage, three mekugi-ana, katte sagari file marks on the lower part of the sashi omote, sujigai on the shinogi-ji and katte sagari on the hiraji of the ura, kurijiri tip. On the omote renmants of a suken horimono and bonji, on the ura remains of bonji
Habaki [collar]: Double, inner copper gold-clad, outer gold
Nagasa [length of blade]: 68.5cm.
Koshirae [mounting]: In its partial koshirae comprising black lacquer saya, shakudo nanako fuchi inlaid with gold peony mon of the Tsugaru clan, signed Ishiguro Masachika and kao, cow horn kashira, gilt dragon and vajra menuki, 19th century
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

Lot Essay

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Juyo Token [especially important sword] issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword] at the 19th Tokubetsu Juyo Shinsa in 2006.

The koshirae, although now depleted of tsuba, kozuka and kogai is accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Kicho Kodogu [Sword Fittings Particularly Worthy of Preserving] no. 626, issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword] on the 20th April 1969.

Along with Kanemitsu, Chogi can be considered a representative of Bizen smiths during the Nambokucho Period. Although old documents tell that he was one of Masmune's Ten Pupils his earliest known work is dated to the Joji era (1362-1368), considerably after the days of Masamune. There are hirazukuri tanto signed Chogi, but his long swords are cut-down from a great original length, like this piece, so that no signature remains. The swords are characteristically large and robust, with hamon more violently active than the work of his contemporaries in Bizen Province.

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