SIGNED KASHU (NO) JU KANEWAKA, AND JIGUSA TETSU (WO) MOTTE KORE (WO) TSUKURU [MADE USING JIGUSA IRON], EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY)

Details

A KAGA WAKIZASHI
SIGNED KASHU (NO) JU KANEWAKA, AND JIGUSA TETSU (WO) MOTTE KORE (WO) TSUKURU [MADE USING JIGUSA IRON], EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, even width, shallow curve, chu-gissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: tight ko-itame with jinie overall Hamon [tempering pattern]: notare with large gunome, hako midare, with distinct yo, large nie
Boshi [tip]: on the omote ko-maru with togari, on the ura yakitsume with kaen
Nakago [tang]: two mekugi-ana, a little machi okuri, file marks katte sagari with a little rough kiri around the newer of the mekugi-ana, ha-agari kurijiri
Habaki [collar]: single silver-clad copper
Nagasa [length of blade]: 54.2cm.
Koshirae [mounting]: elaborate wakizashi koshirae, black lacquered saya with silver inset kojiri carved with a flowering plum bough in katakiri-bori extending half its length, with chrysanthemum blossoms and butterflies depicted in takamaki-e, hiramakie and togidashi-e, the kurikata in the form of a chrysanthemum bud about to open, the tsuba of sixteen-petalled chrysanthemum form with two radial rows of inset stylized silver petals, the two hitsuana plugged with shakudo, the kashira silver of a roundly carved tiger, the fuchi carved with chrysanthemums and signed Ishiguro Koreyoshi and kao, the koiguchi silver with chrysanthemums, on the omote of the tsuka are inset two plum blossoms roundly carved in silver, screwed mekugi with hanabishi in roundels, the menuki silver carved roundly with groups of auspicious symbols

Lot Essay

The first Kanewaka was the son of Yomosuke Kanewaka of Mino province, and worked in Kaga province in the first decades of the 17th century. He received the title Echizen no kami and took the name Takahira. There followed several generations, and this blade is probably by the second, Matasuke (d. 1677). Jigusa tetsu (or Chigusa) is referred to in old documents as a form of iron made in the 'tatara' kiln and used by the early Bizen province smiths.

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