ATTRIBUTED TO RYUMON NOBUYOSHI, KAMAKURA PERIOD (LATE 13TH-EARLY 14TH CENTURY)

Details

A YAMATO KATANA
ATTRIBUTED TO RYUMON NOBUYOSHI, KAMAKURA PERIOD (LATE 13th-EARLY 14TH CENTURY)
Sugata [configuration]: honzukuri, wide shinogi-ji, high shinogi, rather deep curve, chu-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: finely forged itame, thickly spread jinie with fine chikei
Hamon [tempering pattern]: chu-suguha with ko-choji and gunome, ashi, yo, kinsuji, sunagashi, a bright nioiguchi deep in nioi with much nie
Boshi [tip]: komaru and slight hakikake
Nakago [tang]: osuriage, three mekugi-ana of which one plugged, katte sagari file marks, shallow kurijiri tip
Habaki [collar]: double gold-clad copper
Nagasa [length]: 68.95cm.
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]: shirasaya with an inscription dated May 2006 following polishing and with details of the blade and the Juyo Token registration signed Fukagawa Kansai
Koshirae [mounting]: uchigatana koshirae with black hiru-maki [spiral-wound] lacquer scabbard, matching mounts comprising silver migaki-ji fuchi-kashira, koiguchi, kurikata, kojiri depicting in iroe suemon zogan the Yoshino Tatsutagawa motif with maple leaves and cherry blossoms on the cascading river, fuchi signed Masanori (kao), menuki of shibuichi also Tatsutagawa in yobori, oval shibuichi tsuba depicting a cherry tree in blossom in gilt takazogan, both hitsu-ana plugged with gold, seal Mitsumasa (19th century)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Sale room notice

Please note: VAT is payable at 5.001 on hammer price and at 17.5 on the buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

The blade accompanied by a certificate of registration as a Juyo Token [Important Sword] no.12179 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword] on 13rd October 2007

The mounting accompanied by a Tokubetsu Hozon Tosogu [sword fitting specially worthy of preserving] certificate issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword] on 27th June 2006

Nobuyoshi was a smith of the Senjuin school of Yamato believed to have lived in Ryumon-so of the Kofukuji temple in Nara (Yamato). His works are either in Bizen style with large midareba, suguha with choji, ashi, and ji-utsuri or more in Yamato style with suguha of ko-choji and gunome. His Yamato style work, like this sword, can be compared with the well-known National Treasure blade which has the early form of his two-character signature. This is a beautiful blade by this important smith and in very robust condition in view of its great age

More from The Bob Moore Collection of Japanese Art and Design

View All