A BIZEN WAKIZASHI

SIGNED BIZEN KUNI JU SANKAN SHITAHARA TOMOKUNI, MOMOYAMA PERIOD (EARLY 17TH CENTURY)

Details

A BIZEN WAKIZASHI
SIGNED BIZEN KUNI JU SANKAN SHITAHARA TOMOKUNI, MOMOYAMA PERIOD (EARLY 17TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: u-no-kubi zukuri, narrow, even breadth, shallow curve, extended kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: ko-itame, chikei, small sumihada
Hamon [tempering pattern]: suguha-cho with ko-midare, hotsure, kinsuji of ko-nie
Boshi [tip]: strong kinsen into hakkikake
Nakago [tang]: ubu, shallow funagata, kiri file marks, two megugi-ana, ha-agari kurijiri
Habaki [collar]: finely-worked double gold-clad copper with gold-clad seppa
Nagasa [length of blade]: 42.8cm.
Koshirae [mounting]: wakizashi koshirae, the black-lacquered scabbard textured with stylized swirling waters, fuchi-kashira shakudo with some migakiji on the fuchi, and both with nanako panels with dragons carved in high relief with gold inlaid details, signed Yasutaka, sentoku menuki of karashishi, oval shakudo tsuba with applied gold paulownia mon, gold-clad kozuka with gold dragon applied to a shakudo nanako panel

Lot Essay

This fine blade is of a shape typical of the Momoyama period, but with blade characteristics unlike usual Bizen work. The name Shitahara could imply a connection of the smith with the Sue-Soshu school of Shitahara at Odawara (see Lot 256), which might also be inferred from the funagata [ship profile] shape of the tang. The fuchi-kashira are by Yasutaka, a pupil of Nukagawa Yasunori of Mito, 19th century.

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