説明

Skip to content ITEM# UJKA386 – Catalogue 36 – Sold An Etchû Kiyomitsu Katana (越中清光) Kiyomitsu was the son of Koshirô Shigekiyo and was given the name Gorôzaemon , with some sources listing his first name as Yaroku . He worked during the Kanbun to Enpô eras (c. 1661-1681) and lived in Etchû province – modern-day Toyama prefecture, a picturesque coastal city on Japan’s main island, Honshû. His blades carry a lovely darkish jigane characteristic of swords forged along the Sea of Japan coast, and the rounded burl grain of the mokume-hada stands out with particular clarity towards the base of the blade. He signed this sword as Kashû jû Kiyomitsu – a resident of Kashû (Kaga) province – suggesting he produced many swords for elite samurai of the neighbouring and wealthy Kaga domain. The bottom of the nakago is shaped in the distinctive Kashû-nakago-jiri style, a short flat area moving into an acute angle that pays tribute to this important provincial relationship. The blade itself is a model of Shintô-period refinement. The chû-suguha hamon runs bright and even from base to point, its kuichigaiba – the area where the nioguchi overlaps for a noticeable distance along the upper third – marking this as a sword forged firmly within the Yamato tradition. Dark lines of chikei are woven beautifully into the expertly forged mokume-hada, lending the steel a depth and movement rarely seen at this price point. Kiyomitsu is aptly ranked jô-saku and wazamono, a superior swordsmith with a strong reputation for producing extra-sharp blades. The late Edo uchigatana-koshirae is wrapped in a brocade saya depicting the mythical phoenix ( hôô ) – a symbol of the Japanese imperial household representing fire, the sun, justice, obedience and fidelity. The shikunshi (‘four gentlemen’) motifs of orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and plum blossom on the NTHK-NPO certified tsuba, attributed to the third generation Sunagawa Masayoshi , resonate with Confucian and Zen ideals of purity and perseverance.