SIGNED HOKI (NO) KAMI TAIRA ASON MASAYOSHI, ZO KEN JAKKAN KAMI ARI KORE FURI AND DATED KANSEI 3RD I 2-GATSU [1791]

Details

A Satsuma Katana
Signed Hoki (no) kami Taira Ason Masayoshi, zo ken jakkan kami ari kore furi and dated Kansei 3rd I 2-gatsu [1791]
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri [longituginal ridge], o-kissaki [large point], iori-mune [shallow peaked back], koshi-zori [curvature near tang]

Kitae [forging pattern]: a combination of running itame [wood grain] and o-mokume [large burl wood grain], ji-nie [hard metal granules] and chikei [short lines of nie]

Hamon [tempering pattern]: a combination of notare [undulating line] and gunome [small pointed curves], togari-ba with nie, yubashiri, sunagashi [thick lines of nie], kinsuji [bright curved threadlike areas]

Boshi [tip]: hakikake [brushed tip]

Horimono [carvings]: so style kurikara [dragon and sword] on the omote, bonji [Sansckrit characters] and a flag on the ura

Nakago [tang]: ubu [unaltered] with katte agari yasurime [diagonal file marks sloping towards the edge of the tang], one mekugi-ana [hole for retaining pegs], kengyo [pointed heel]

Fitted with two-tier gilt habaki [collar]

Shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 27 15/16in. (71.1cm.)
Sori [curvature]: 7/8in. (2.1cm)
Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 1¼in. (3.2cm)
Sakihaba [width before tip]: 1in. (2.5cm)

Provenance

Yokota Takujiro (Korea)

Literature

Fujishiro Yoshio, Meito Zukan (Tokyo, 1937), Fujishiro Yoshio, Shin-shinto shu: Hamon to Meiji (Tokyo, 1941), p.131
Fukunaga Suiken, Zuroku Satsuma no Katana to Tsuba (Tokyo, 1965), p.199
Kataoka Ginsaku, Nihonto zuikan: Shinto hen (Tokyo, 1984), p.1010
Fujishiro Yoshio and Fujishiro Matsuo, Nihon toko jiten: Shinto hen (Tokyo, 1992), p.316

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium

Lot Essay

With original certificate of registration as a Juyo token [Important sword] by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozonkai Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword] on 8 September 1980.

Masayoshi was born in 1733 and was named as Hoki no kami in 1789 and died in 1818 at the age of 86. The inscription "God exists in the blade" may indicate he was rather proud of this sword.

More from JAPANESE ART AND DESIGN INCLUDING ARTS OF THE SAMURAI

View All