Nice wide koto blade with a large point that is called an Okissaki. This style of blade was introduced in the nanbokucho period (mid 1300's). The style of this sword is like that of the Naoe Shizu school. Our thinking is that this blade cold be anywhere from the nanbokucho period to the late muromachi period. The gunome midare hamon is done very well, mixed with some notare and ashi is present. The jigane has itame with running masame, usturi appears in the ji. Mino blades were well renowned for their cutting ability, and sought after by higo bushi. Even Hosokawa Sansai (lord of Higo) carried a Nosada (Kanesada) in his famous mount known as the Kassen Koshirae. So everything from the late Kamakura period (Shizu) to the Late Muromachi period (Kanesada, Kanemoto, Kanenobu) were all appreciated by the Higo Bushi. Swords such as this one are known as Higo koshirae, and in most cases of Higo blades, they are on the short side (they say that the Higo Bushi believed it gave them the edge in a quick draw contest - that could mean the difference between life and death). Tang has been definitely shortened quite a bit, with 2 holes, 1 plugged nicely.
The mount is a nice Higo mount that has the iron gold zogan Fuchi kashira on a black same' brown wrapped tsuka. The menuki are very nice, done in dark black shakudo and gold. The work looks like that of the Goto School, not sure of the subject , But it is seen often in their works. The tsuba is a slightly wan styled iron plate with the design of scrolling vines done in Higo nunome zogan. The saya is a nice original lacquer of cha ishime which is very common in Higo mounts. All in all a very nice package for a collector that likes Koto blades in 1800 period mounts. |
