Live Auction 20991Japanese and Korean Art
A BIZEN OSAFUNE TANTO
Lot 101 PROPERTY FROM THE KAISENDO MUSEUM COLLECTION

A BIZEN OSAFUNE TANTO

LATE KAMAKURA PERIOD (14TH CENTURY), SIGNED BISHU OSAFUNE KAGEMITSU, DATED GENKO YONEN KINOENE SANGATSU JUROKUHI (16 MARCH 1324)

Closed20 September 2022

Price Realised

USD 23,940

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A BIZEN OSAFUNE TANTO
LATE KAMAKURA PERIOD (14TH CENTURY), SIGNED BISHU OSAFUNE KAGEMITSU, DATED GENKO YONEN KINOENE SANGATSU JUROKUHI (16 MARCH 1324)
Configuration [sugata]: hira-zukuri with iori-mune; fukura-kareru, no curvature
Forging pattern [jihada]: mokume with bo-utsuri
Tempering pattern [hamon]: hoso-suguba
Point [boshi]: rounded (ko-maru).
Tang [nakago]: shape (keitai): slender and tapering, un-shortened (ubu); file marks (yasurime): sloping (sujikai); end (nakagojiri): rounded (kurijiri); holes (mekugi-ana): two
Nagasa [length from tip to beginning of tang]: 25.3 cm.; width at start of tempered edge 2.2 cm.
Collar [habaki]: double gold
In shirasaya (wood storage scabbard)

Accompanied by a Hozon token certificate, no. 330933, 7 October Heisei 4 (1992), issued by the the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword)

Kaisendo Museum, Yamagata, Japan

Specialist note

Osafune Kagemitsu, one of the most prominent swordsmiths in Bizen Province, is known for his beautiful forging pattern (jihada). The most well-known sword by this artist is the tanto sword called Kenshin Kagemitsu in the collection of Saitama Prefectural Museum of History and Folklore which dated 1323. It is believed that the Kenshin Kagemitsu was once owned by the famous sengoku daimyo Uesugi Kenshin (1561-1578), and now registered as National Treasure.