A Yamato Katana in Mounts

KAMAKURA PERIOD (13TH CENTURY), ATTRIBUTED TO THE TAIMA SCHOOL

Details

A Yamato Katana in Mounts
Kamakura period (13th century), attributed to the Taima school
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, iori-mune, chu-kissaki and slight saki-zori
Kitae [forging pattern]: itame mixed with mokume of jinie
Hamon [tempering pattern]: suguha with gentle notare tendencies with nie and sunagashi
Boshi [tip]: hakikake
Horimono [carving]: bo-hi carved on both sides
Nakago [tang]: o-suriage with kiri file marks and two holes
Habaki [collar]: double, gold
Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 67.1cm.
Motohaba [width at start of tempered edge]: 3.2cm.
Sakihaba [width before tip]: 2cm.

In shirasaya [plain wood storage scabbard]

Koshirae comprising a black-lacquer rayskin saya polished so it shows through in star-shaped designs, fitted with a Waki-Goto school shakudo nanako-ji kozuka and kogai with roosters in gold taka-zogan, the blade signed Omi (no) kami Sukenao; a Kyo-Shoami iron sukashi tsuba with petal rim; the tsuka mounted with copper fuchi-kashira with silver crashing waves and a long-tailed tortoise, signed Banryuken Sadanaka and with kao; iron and gold menuki formed as demons

With a Hozon token (Sword worthy of preserving) certificate no. 362374 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword), dated 2002.8.1 (2)

Lot Essay

The Taima school of swordsmiths derived their name from the Taimadera temple in Nara with which they maintained a close association. Since Taima blades were commissioned by monks, they were seldom signed.

The Taima school trace their ancestry to the Kamakura-period smith Kuniyuki (circa 1288-1317). Although the school continued to be active until the end of the fourteenth century, few Taima-school swords survive.

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