The Property of a Gentleman
A katana | Attributed to the Echizen Rai school | Nambokucho period, 14th century
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November 5, 01:51 PM GMT
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
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Description
The Property of a Gentleman
A katana
Attributed to the Echizen Rai school
Nambokucho period, 14th century
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi zukuri, iori-mune, deep koshi-zori, chu-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: pronounced itame-hada with nagare, becoming mokume in places, plenty chikei and ji-nie
Hamon [tempering pattern]: wide suguha in ko-nie-deki, featuring kinsuji, ashi and yo
Boshi [tip]: slightly rounded with short turnback
Horimono [carvings]: each side with deep wide groove running into the tang
Nakago [tang]: suriage, kiri-jiri, three mekugi ana
Habaki [collar]: chiselled, chased and engraved copper-gilt, single clad
In shirasaya plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro
Koshirae [mount]: the black lacquer saya with an ishime ground, iron and gilt fittings carved in low relief with cloud scrolls, the kojiri with a rabbit before a full moon, the shakudo menuki in the form of tigers, the circular iron tsuba with raised rim decorated in gilt with stylised chrysanthemum flowerheads before foliate scrolls, Edo period 19th century
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 65.4 cm., 25¾ in.
Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2 cm., ¾ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 2.8 cm., 1⅛ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of Preservation], no. 120302 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 1 (1989).
The sayagaki inscription by Tanobe Michihiro has been translated as:
Echizen-Rai
This blade is o-suriage and unsigned. The name Echizen-Rai goes back to the fact that the Rai smith Kuniyasu moved during the Nanbokucho period from Kyoto to Echizen where he then founded the Chiyozuru school. The interpretation of the jiba of this blade and its highlights allow us to understand the characteristic features of this smith.
Blade length: 65.4 cm.
Attested by Tanzan [Tanobe Michihiro] in April of the Year of the Dog of this era (2018) and kao [cursive monogram]
Echizen Rai
O-suriage mumei nari. Rai Kuniyasu wa Nanbokucho-ki ni Kyo yori Echizen ni iju shitaru ni yori Echizen-Rai no shoko arite Chiyozuru-ha no so to naru. Honto wa jiba ni doko no midokoro ga kichi-seru no shosa nari.
Hacho ni-shaku issun roku-bu kore ari.
Jizai tsuchinoe-inu seiwazuki Tanzan kore o shirusu [kao]
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