説明

Skip to content ITEM# UJKA417 – Catalogue 42 – Sold A Masatoshi Katana (坂倉関正利) This muscular katana was forged by second-generation Sakakura no Seki swordsmith Masatoshi , who flourished at the close of the warring Muromachi period during the Kôji era (1555~1558), as Japan was consumed by the Sengoku-jidai . His father, shodai Masatoshi, was the son of Masayoshi who founded the school in the late 1400s. The chiselled character for ‘Masa’ bears a striking resemblance to signatures found on blades of the Sôshû Sengo Muramasa school – giving weight to the theory that Masatoshi was the son, or direct student, of the Eishô -era Masazane who worked also in Ise. A warrior energy pulses through this freshly polished blade, showcasing both Sôshû and Mino influences at their most vivid. The jihada presents as a fine mixture of nagare-hada and itame-hada, alive with ji-nie and chikei. The hamon runs in a vibrant $1 punctuated by leaping tobiyaki, droplet-like yô , pointed togari , streaming sunagashi and bright kinsuji. The bôshi closes in a striking jizô form – a profile strongly associated with the Sengo Muramasa school, and perhaps the most telling fingerprint of Masatoshi’s lineage. The nakago is shortened ( suriage ) but retains the characteristic funagata profile of the Sôshû Sengo tradition. Unique Japan assembled a handsome set of antique Edo-period koshirae to complement this blade. The saya is a kuro-ronuri uchigatana-koshirae lacquered in glossy black (late Edo, 1780~1868). The polished iron tsuba from the Sho-ami school of Kyôto features a snowflake design encircled by woven hats, with crosshatched gold inlay along the rim. The fuchi-kashira, attributed to the Shônai Shôami school (mid-Edo, 1700~1780), depict shishi lions and peonies in bold relief. The pure white silk tsuka is wrapped in naka katatemaki over black-lacquered samekawa, with courageous chidori plover birds flying over waves as the menuki. Masatoshi is ranked ryô-wazamonô for the consistently excellen