A BIZEN GASSAKU WAKIZASHI
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A BIZEN GASSAKU WAKIZASHI

SIGNED BIYO OSAFUNE (NO) JU NIN YOKOYAMA ISE (NO) KAMI SUKEHIRA, DO SUKENAGA [ISE NO KAMI SUKEHIRA OF OSAFUNE IN BIZEN, AND SUKENAGA OF THE SAME], EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

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A BIZEN GASSAKU WAKIZASHI
SIGNED BIYO OSAFUNE (NO) JU NIN YOKOYAMA ISE (NO) KAMI SUKEHIRA, DO SUKENAGA [ISE NO KAMI SUKEHIRA OF OSAFUNE IN BIZEN, AND SUKENAGA OF THE SAME], EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, shallow curve, chu-gissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: finest koitame with even jinie
hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome choji, long shallow yakidashi, kinsen and sunagashi prominent in the upper part of the bladee
Boshi [tip]: ko-maru
Nakago [tang]: ubu, katte sagari file marks, single mekugi-ana, ha-agari kurijiri
Habaki [collar]: single gold-clad copper with angled ridged bands
Nagasa [length of blade]: 44.9cm.
Koshirae [mounting]: shirasaya with wakizashi koshirae, black ishimeji lacquered saya, oval shibuichi migakiji tsuba with waterside scene in tsukidashi and iroe taka-zogan, fuchi-kashira of shakudo with flying birds and falcon in high relief inlay of copper, silver, and gold, menuki of gilt karashishi, kozuka of shakudo nanako on gilt base with a sambaso scene ('the treasure box') in high relief iroe-zogan attributed to Kyo kanagushi work (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 Tokubetsu Kicho Token [Especially Valuable Sword] no. 124928 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 15th April 1967, and another certificate of registration as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of preservation] no. 120356 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 8th August 1989

The koshirae accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Hozon Tosogu [Sword Fittings Worthy of Preservation] no. 431003 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 4th August 1995

The kozuka accompanied by a separate certificate of registration as a Hozon Tosogu [Sword Fitting Worthy of Preservation] no. 439958 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 15th April 2000

The tsuba accompanied by a separate certificate of registration as a Hozon Tosogu [Sword Fitting Worthy of Preservation] no. 439956 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 14th June 2000

This fine gassaku (joint work between two smiths) is by the father and son Sukehira and Sukenanga. The smith Sukehira (d.1929) was of the lineage of Shichibei-no-jo Sukesada, and initially signed his work Sukesada. He studied under Oku Motohira of Satsuma around 1788, and there exists a sword by him inscribed that it was made in the house of Motohira in Sasshu. He sometimes inscribed 'the fifty-fifth descendant of Tomonari' on the tangs of his swords. He received the honorific title Ise no Kami in 1790.

Sukenaga (d.1851) was Sukehira's second son, and the most celebrated of the Yokoyama family. He was accorded the title Kaga-no-suke in 1833, and the right to carve the Imperial Chrysanthemum together with the character Ichi on the tangs of his swords. He was the fifty-sixth descendant of Tomonari.

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