SIGNED KANE(TOSHI) SAKU, MUROMACHI PERIOD (15TH CENTURY)

Details

A MINO AIKUCHI
SIGNED KANE(TOSHI) SAKU, MUROMACHI PERIOD (15TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: hirazukuri, mitsu-mune, slight uchizori curve
Kitae [forging pattern]:o-itame nagare, chikei, shirake
Hamon [tempering pattern]:gunome-ba with kinsuji, nioi with ko-nie and some ara-nie
Horimono [carvings]:single koshibi on each side
Boshi [tip]: ko-maru
Nakago [tang]: ubu, two mekugi-ana, higaki file marks, kurijiri
Habaki [collar]: double gilt
Nagasa [length of blade]: 26.2cm.
Koshirae [mounting]: shirasaya, together with its aikuchi mounting, the saya black lacquer with chrysanthemum, flowering cherry bough, and bamboo in red, gold, sabiage, and other coloured lacquer, the tsuka ribbed and lacquered black, the long sloping silver kojiri in toppei style, engraved with epidendra signed Ikkin with a kao, matching kashira, the fuchi shakudo nanako with peony and shishi in high relief gold inlay, a wari-kogai of shakudo with four fields of different nanako and repeated, gilt hoshi umebachi mon (2)

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 20% on the buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

The blade accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Hozon Token [Sword Worthy of Preservation] no. 332996 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 13th July 1993

The koshirae accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Tokubetsu Kicho Kodogu [especially valuable sword fittings] no. 539 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 16th October 1966

The smith San'ami was grandson to Kanenori of Mino and brother to Kanemoto, and this tanto is accordingly in classic full-developed Mino style. This sword is likely to be by the fourth of the known Mino smiths of the name, starting with a pupil of Kaneuji at Naoe around the end of the Nanbokucho period (late 14th century).

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