EDO PERIOD (EARLY 17TH CENTURY), KATANA SIGNED RAKUYO HORIKAWA [NO] JU FUJIWARA KUNIMORI, WAKIZASHI SIGNED FUJIWARA KUNIMORI

Details

A MOUNTED HORIKAWA DAISHO
EDO PERIOD (EARLY 17TH CENTURY), KATANA SIGNED RAKUYO HORIKAWA [NO] JU FUJIWARA KUNIMORI, WAKIZASHI SIGNED FUJIWARA KUNIMORI
Katana:
Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, shallow curve, chu-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: Prominent flowing zanguri itame-hada with jinie and mellow chikei
Hamon [tempering pattern]: Notare with square formations mixed with ko-gunome and togari-ba, sunagashi and other variations in rich nie
Boshi [tip]: Straight to yakitsume with slight hakikake
Nakago [tang]: Ubu, sujigai file marks, one mekugi-ana, ha-agari kurijiri
Habaki [collar]: Double gold-clad copper
Nagasa [length of blade]: 77cm
Koshirae [mounting]: Daisho mounting with black-lacquered saya, matching shakudo migakiji tsuba pierced with wave forms, menuki of gold shishi on the katana, fuchi of katana shibuichi carved with bamboo thicket, menuki of wakizashi carved with the Buddhist Wheel of the Law and a measure, with shakudo nanako kogai with entwined yabukoji (type of miniature bush orange), unsigned, attributed to Goto Teijo (1603-1673)

The katana blade accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Juyo token (Important sword) no. 3484 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword), dated 1970.6.1

The kogai accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Tokubetsu kicho kodogu (Especially valuable sword fitting) no. 96 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword), dated 1973.1.13
Wakizashi:
Kitae [forging pattern]: Prominent flowing zanguri itame-hada with jinie and mellow chikei
Hamon [tempering pattern]: Notare with gunome ashi, yo, hotsure and with a shallow yakidashi
Boshi [tip]: Straight to yakitsume with slight hakikake
Nagasa [length of blade]: 50cm (2)

Provenance

By repute, Naito and Kuroda families of Hyuga province

Literature

Nakajima Uichi, Kunihiro taikan (Tokyo, 1954), 46.
Sato Kan'ichi (Kanzan), Horikawa Kunihiro to sono deshi (Horikawa Kunihiro and his pupils) (Tokyo: Otsuka Kogeisha, 1962).
Token bijutsu 13 (Mar. 31, 1952): 188.
Tetsu no issho, vol. 2, 83--84.

Exhibited

Chido Museum, Tsuruoka, 1996.5.17--30
Ibaraki Prefectural Museum of History, Mito, 2000.2.12

Sale room notice

There are errors in the illustrations of the blades for this lot:
The full illustration of the blade at the left is an illustration of lot 28 and is not part of this lot. The nakago is the correct image for the katana and not the wakizashi. The illustration of the kissaki is correct for the wakizashi.
The full illustration of the katana blade and kissaki pictured at the right are correct. The nakago is the correct image for the wakizashi and not the katana.

Brought to you by

Emma Winder

ewinder@christies.com 212-636-2167

Lot Essay

These are two of only three known blades by Kunimori. The style is so close to that of Horikawa Kunihiro that it is evident that the smith was not only a pupil, but probably made daisaku (substitute works made with permission of the master) for Kunihiro. The zanguri hada (coarse pear-skin-like surface grain pattern) and the large activity near the monouchi (cutting edge) is quite identical to the work of Kunihiro. The signature also compares with that of Kunihiro after around the 12th year of the Keicho era (1607), when it may be assumed that Kunimori was working closely with him. The katana was selected for special exhibition to Emperor Hirohito on his visit to Miyazaki (Hyuga province in Kyushu, now Miyazaki Prefecture, original home of Kunihiro) in 1935, attested by the sayagaki (attestation on wood storage scabbard) of Sato Kanzan.

More from Arts of the Samurai

View All