An excellent Tokubetsu Hozon Yasushige Katana

$15,000.00

Consigned

Yasushige Katana

 

Date

1655 Edo era   Kii Province   紀伊国

Country of Origin

Japan

Nagasa ( Length)

70.7 cm 

length in Scabbard

103 cm 

Sori (Curve)

2.0 cm

Type of Sori

Torii-sori

Mihaba (Width)

36.6 mm

Kasane (Thickness)

6.65 mm

Saki Kasane

4.7 mm

Kissaki (Point) Length

35.2 mm

Kissaki Type

Chu-kissaki

Hamon Type

Chu-suguha very straight and even along whole blade length.

Horimono (Engraving)

None

Nakago (Tang) Length

21.5 mm

Nakago Type

Ubu-nakago

Nakagojiri (Nakago end)

Kengyo

Yasurime (File Pattern)

Sujikai

Mune Back of Blade)

Iori-mune

Mei (Signatue)

Yes on tang per certificate

Tsuba 

Iron with symmetrical geometric pattern penetrating through the tsuba

Habaki (Blade collar)

Two part, gold leaf covered.

Fuchi (Collar)

Black Chrysanthemum bush with flowers

Kashira (But cap)

Black Chrysanthemum bush with flowers

Menuki (Ornament under binding)

Silver and Gold Chrysanthemum flowers

Saya (Scabbard)

Bright red lacquer.

Maker

YASUSHIGE (康重), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), 

Kii – “Kii no Kuni Yasushige” (紀伊国康重)

 

 
Description

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maker

 

An Excellent Katana made by very good maker Kishu Yasushige.

Mounted in Shira-saya, Koshirae fitted with Tsunagi.

The blade has a very straight Hamon, and is in excellent polish.

Koshire has bright red lacquered saya with brown silk Tsukaito over white rayskin.

Menuki are silver and gold flowers, Kashira and Fushi are black carved with detailed flowers and plants.

The tsuba is Iron with simple penetrated carving in symmetrical geometricshape, possibly one of the Christian cruciform style.

The blade has a Kiri Komi (defensive nick) on left side of mune.

YASUSHIGE (康重), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Kii – “Kii no Kuni Yasushige” (紀伊国康重), student of Yasuhiro (康広), he signed his name in early years with the characters (安重)

 

YASUSHIGE (康重), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Kii – “Kii no Kuni Yasushige” (紀伊国康重), student of Yasuhiro (康広), he signed his name in early years with the characters (安重)

 

The Ishido Kei (石堂系) had its foundations in Omi Province.  Omi Province was the home of many well-known smiths from the late Kamakura period into the Nanbokucho period.  Some of the more famous smiths were Takagi Sadamune (高木貞宗) and Kanro Toshinaga (甘露哉俊長).  They had many descendants but very few of their works survived so that by the time the Tokugawa period began, there were not many of these descendants left in this province. Around the Meio Era (1492), many of the Osafune-kaji from Bizen came to Omi and made swords thus breathing new life into this area.  Among these was Sukenaga (助長) who moved to this area and is said to have founded the Ishido Kei (石堂系).

During the early years of the Edo period during the Kanei Era (1624-1644), the various groups of smiths who made up the Ishido Kei (石堂系) left Omi and split into three groups.  These three groups moved to Edo (Musashi Province), Wakayama (Kii Province), and Fukuoka (Chikuzen Province).  These three groups prospered in their new areas throughout the Shinto period.

The group that moved to Wakayama later moved to Osaka.

This group is called the Kii Ishido(紀伊石堂) school.  The leader of this school was Tosa Shogen Tachibana Tameyasu (土佐将監橘為康).  The second generation Tameyasu (為康) was given a title and then called himself Mutsu no Kami Tameyasu (陸奥守為康).  The brother of the second generation was Bitchû no Kami Yasuhiro (備中守康廣).  His line continued for three generations.  Other smiths in this school included Kawachi no Kami Yasunaga（河内守康永）and Bizen no Kami Sukekuni (備前守祐国).  Tatara Nagayuki (多々允良長幸) was Yasunaga’s (康永) student and one of the finest Bizen style smiths to work during the Shinto period.

Here are the basic characteristics of the Kii Ishido (紀伊石堂) school and Bitchu no Kami Yasuhiro (備中守康廣):   The katana have a relatively short length, and the mihaba becomes narrow in the upper area.  The Ishido school produced many shinogi-zukuri wakizashi.  Tanto are few.

 

Provenance

 

NBTHK Tokobetsu Hozon Certificate KANTEI – SHO (鑑定書) – APPRAISAL No 145484

 

Katana , signed: YASUSHIGE (康重), Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Kii – “Kii no Kuni Yasushige” (紀伊国康重), student of Yasuhiro (康広

Nagasa ~ 70.7 cm

According to the result of the Shinsa committee of our society, we judge this work as authentic and rank it as Tokobetsu Hozon.

[Foundation] Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, NBTHK (⽇本美術⼑劍保存協會)