From the
original Gassan School. This is a Koto period Gassan Tachi.
The original Gassan School is famous for creating what is known
as the very popular Ayasugi hada. Koto period Gassan swords
are not very common, most people only see those from the Shinshinto
Gassan School or the later Gendai School made by makers such as
Sadakazu and Sadakatsu. These makers copied and revived this
style of sword making due to the beautiful grain pattern that was
created using these methods. Healthy Koto Gassan swords are
few due to the fact that there were not many made, and due to their
age, not many survived. This example that we offer here is
still very healthy, with a beautiful elegant Tachi shape.
The Ayasugi grain pattern is very beautiful, along with the traditional
ko-notare suguha hamon. Accompanied with a beautiful perfect
condition mounting consisting of a set of papered bird menuki, signed
fuchi kashira (Signature looks genuine to us), and a very nice iron
plate tsuba. The handle wrapping is done in the style known
as Jabara maki and is in perfect condition. This is also known
as a “string” wrap utilizing 4 strands instead of the
more common 2 strand method. The fuchi kashira are shakudo nanako
and have beautiful work utilizing gold for the highlites.
This is classic very nice work from the Nara School, and they are
in wonderful condition. The bird menuki are very very nice,
made of shakudo with gold for the eyes. Very well cut, they
are almost to good to use in a mount. Scabbard is a pristine black
shiny lacquer. Mountings are on tsunagi (wooden blade), blade
is in a new shirasaya with a very nice 2 piece silver foiled habaki
done in the rare “Botan Yujo” that was used for later
Gasssan blades during the 1900’s.
For a collector that
would like to have a very nice and perfect Koto Gassan blade with
beautiful mounts.
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