説明

Antique Japanese Sword Katana Signed by Katsuie with Tokubetsu Kicho Certificates for the blade & the koshirae 【Description】 This blade bears the signature of Katsuie (勝家) and is estimated to date to the late Muromachi period (late 15th to mid-16th century). The swordsmith name “Katsuie” (勝家) lasted several generations from the middle of the Muromachi period to the early Edo period (1450s-1650s), and we believe the attribution was given to a late generation Katsuie in the late Murimachi period (the late 15th – mid 16th century). The first generation Katsuie was originally from Mino province, famous for the sword-forging tradition called MINO-DEN (美濃伝). He and his apprentices moved to Kaga Koku (today’s Ishikawa prefecture) in the middle of the Muromachi period (1450’s). They founded a Darani (陀羅尼) school after being hired by the monks who lived there. However, from the second generation, Katsuie served the famous feudal clan, Maeda clan, forging swords for famous Samurais. It was honorable for any swordsmiths to serve a feudal clan exclusively. This blade might have been made in the middle of Sengoku Jidai (Warring States period) when there was so much rivalry between warlords trying to gain political power nationwide. It would be nice to have a piece that survived through this period. Maeda Clan Maeda clan was originally a retainer of Oda family, who ruled Owari province (today’s Nagoya area in Aichi prefecture). The first head of the Maeda clan was Toshie Maeda. He climbed the social ladder of Samurai society and became the feudal lord of Kaga province (today’s Ishikawa prefecture). He had a vast rice fief that fed 1 million grown-up adults, which is called Hyakuman Goku. The Maeda clan was one of the most influential families in Samurai history. Toshie Maeda had a close tie with Oda Nobunaga and Hideyoshi Toyotomi. *Please keep in mind that there are a few Kitae Kizu on the blade. If you like to know the detailed condition, please feel free to contact us. 【Blade】 Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa) : 62.6 cm ( 24.6 inches) Curvature(Sori) : 2.0 cm (0.78 inches) Hamon : The crystalline structure which forms along the cutting edge of a blade as a result of the hardening process Jimon(Jihada) : visible steel surface pattern created by folding and hammering during forging process Kissaki : Kissaki is the tip of the Japanese sword. Nakago : Nakago is the tang of the Japanese sword. Japanese swordsmiths left the black rust on the tang because it prevents red rust while the tang is in its handle. And the discoloration of the tang was created over time, and it is a great indicator for a Japanese sword specialist to estimate when the sword was forged. Koshirae :Koshirae is the mounting of the Japanese sword. There are several parts that consist of Koshirae such as Saya (Scabbard), Tsuka (Handle), Tsuba (Handguard). Fuchi-Kashira : A pair of matching sword fittings that cover the upper and bottom parts of its sword hilt. The fuchi-kashira are made of shakudo (a copper-gold alloy) and decorated with vertically engraved stripes. Tsuka and Menuki : Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration. The certificate says that this Menuki’s motif is the Hairyu Zu (這龍図). You could see the dragon’s characteristic elongated body through the gaps in the Tsukamaki threads on each side. The figures of dragons crawling along with flames are designed. Initially, the dragon was an imaginary creature found in ancient foreign traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, belly is the Mizuchi (蛟, a mythical animal in Japan that looks like a snake and has a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. Tsuba and Habaki : Tsuba is t