SIGNED HIZEN KUNI (NO) JU KAZUSA DAIJO FUJIWARA HARUKUNI, AND, SHINGITAE (WO) MOTTE KORE (WO) TSUKURU, EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY)

Details

A HIZEN KATANA
SIGNED HIZEN KUNI (NO) JU KAZUSA DAIJO FUJIWARA HARUKUNI, AND, SHINGITAE (WO) MOTTE KORE (WO) TSUKURU, EDO PERIOD (17TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, shallow curve, chu-gissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]:finest ko-itame verging on muji-hada
Hamon [tempering pattern]: ogunome midare, much aranie
Boshi [tip]: kaen
Nakago [tang]: ubu, single mekugi-ana, o-sujikai file marks, ha-agari kurjiri
Habaki [collar]: single gold-clad copper
Nagasa [length of blade]: 68.9cm.
Koshirae [mounting]: shirasaya and with handachi koshirae, black ishimeji saya, matching handachi fittings
of copper with ishimeji, and on the fuchi nanakoji with a shishi in high relief with gold inlay, signed Kikuoka Mitsumasa, copper kozuka with shibuichi base and cormorant fisher in high relief with gold details, round iron tsuba with shakudo and gilt plants in high relief

Special notice

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

Lot Essay

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Tokubetsu Kicho Token [Especially Valuable Sword] no. 148659 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 9th August 2003

Harukuni is the early name of the second generation Harima no kami Tadakuni. He adopted the name Tadakuni following his father's retirement, receiving the honorific title Kazusa daijo in 1655, and the right to carve a sixteen-petal chrysanthemum on his swords. The smith sometime used nanban tetsu [imported iron], and would record this, sometimes together with the forging method used. On this sword the inscription shin gitae (wo) motte kore (wo) tsukuru indicates one such forging method.

More from The Japanese Aesthetic

View All