説明
Antique Japanese Sword Katana Attributed to Sueyuki with
Tokubetsu Hozon
Certificate
【Description】
Summary
This blade is attributed to Joshu Sueyuki (城州末行), who was especially active during the late Kamakura period (
1293-1299
). Joshu is another name for Yamashiro province. He belonged to Ayanokoji school located in Yamashiro province (Today’s Kyoto prefecture).
Ayanokoji school was founded by Sadatoshi (定利) during the mid-Kamakura period (1264-1275). The school’s name came from the fact that Sadatoshi lived in Ayanokoji city. Sueyuki was one of the prominent figures among those who belonged to this school. He forged blades with *Yamashiro Den tradition, one of the five Japanese sword-forging techniques.
Yamashiro Den
Yamashiro province was famous for its sword-making style called YAMASHIRO-DEN. YAMASHIRO-DEN’s origin dates back to the Heian period(794 A.D) when the capital city was moved from Nara to Kyoto. The swordsmiths in Yamashiro province initially prospered by forging swords for court nobles and imperial families. Later on, they also forged swords for feudal lords after Samurai military government took control of Japan. There are so many renowned swordsmiths from this region.
It is said that the founder of YAMASHIRO-DEN was Sanjo Munechika. And there are four prestigious main branches in this region. They are Sanjo, Rai, Nobukuni, and Awataguchi. According to available records, Ayanokoji school had close ties with Sanjo branch.
One of the characteristics of YAMASHIRO-DEN is its elegant design and beautiful Jigane (steel surface pattern). This blade represents a great trait of YAMASHIRO-DEN.
It is appraised as a
Tokubetsu Hozon Token
(特別保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK(Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). This authentication paper was only given to authentic Japanese swords, especially well preserved and high quality with artistic value.
【 Blade】
Cutting Edge Length(Nagasa)
:
71.2 cm (28.0 inches)
Curvature(Sori)
:
2.0 cm (0.79 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
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 books with old books binding style and fan patterns are engraved on this Fuchi Kashira. The gold color is used everywhere on the base of the elegant black luster of copper, giving it a gorgeous appearance. The use of wave patterns in the background adds to the elegance of the design.
Tsuka and Menuki
:
Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.
This handle is wrapped with the Tsukamaki thread, and a Menuki is attached to each side of the handle. This handle’s Tsukamaki (柄巻, generic term for string wrapped around the entire handle), its type of Tsukamaki is called the Ikkanmaki (一貫巻). In this Tsukamaki method, rhombus patterns appear only on both ends of the handle, and the center of the handle is flat.
The Tsukamaki itself is initially intended to reinforce the handle and make it easier to fix the hand’s position when grasping the handle, so various threads and winding methods were used depending on how practical and decorative it is. This Koshirae’s handle is one of the methods born from such trial and error.
About the design of Menuki, we estimate that one is a Kijo (鬼女, a monster that turned a human woman into a demon, a female demon), and another character
