大和を支えた大寺の力は室町を通じて衰え、諸派もこれとともに細った。末手掻が古風な柾目を量産のうちに伝えている。1567年の東大寺大仏殿の炎上が、寺院の時代の幕を引いた。
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchSummary This blade was attributed to Sue-Hosho (末保昌) by NBTHK, one of Japan’s most reputable Japanese sword appraising organizations. Hosho is the school that flourished during the late Kamakura-early Muromachi period (early14th-early 15th century). In Japanese sword terminology, when the appraisal is given as Hosho (保昌), they are attributed to the ones made during the late Kamakura-Nanbokucho era (early-Late 14th century). And those made during the early Muromachi period are called Sue-Hosho (末保昌). Sue (末) means “end” in Japanese. Hosho school was founded by Sadamune (定宗) in the early 14th century in Yamato province (Today’s Nara prefecture). The prominent swordsmiths who belonged to this school were Sadayoshi(貞吉), Sadakiyo(貞清), and Sadaoki(貞興). The Hosho school was famous for creating blades with *Masame Hada, one kind of steel surface pattern that appeared on the Japanese sword. There were five prestigious schools, including Hosho school, during the Kamakura-early Muromachi period in Yamato province. They are called Yamato Goha(大和五派); Senjyuin(千手院), Shikkake (尻懸), Taima(当麻), Hosho(保昌) and Tegai(手掻) school. They served politically powerful monks and temples in Nara, such as Todaiji temples. They were initially forging swords for military monks who became powerful due to the government’s policy back then. Monks needed many weapons as there were many political rivalries between influential temples. They required strong weapons like swords to protect themselves. During this time, Hosho school or other Yamato sword schools met the requests from monks. They also forged blades for Samurai during their heyday. Yamato Den The swords forged in Yamato regions are famous for their beautiful Jigane, steel surface, and straight tempering line(Suguha). And, they invented the particular sword-forging tradition called YAMATO DEN. This blade has a beautiful Jigane with a Suguha tempering line, which shows an outstanding characteristic of the Yamato sword. The overall condition is excellent. Based on the shape of Nakago(Tang), it was shortened in the past. We assume its original length was much longer than it is now. Masame Hada Masame (柾目) means straight grain in Japanese. Masame Hada is the Japanese sword terminology for the Hada (steel surface pattern of the Japanese sword) that looks like straight grain when one cuts a tree in half. This kind of Hada is often seen in the works of Yamato Den swordsmiths like the Hoshou school. And it usually is combined with Itame Hada, another grain pattern that looks like wood-grain seen in the Japanese sword. You can see the mixture of Masame/Itame Hada from this blade. This blade is appraised as a Hozon Token(保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK(Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). *Please keep in mind that there are a couple of visible Kitae Kizu on this blade. If you like to see the detail, please feel free to contact us. Fuchi-Kashira This Fuchi Kashira depicts a dragon running through rough waves. On the Kashira part, the wave pattern on the surface of the sea is engraved in an abstract design. And the plants are also sculpted to express the scenery of the waterside. Golden paint is effectively applied to some parts. In Japan, there is a belief that worships the dragon as a water god. Therefore, it is understandable that a combination of dragons and water (waves in this case) was incorporated into a design of sword mountings. Tsuka and Menuki From the gaps in the Tsukamaki thread, we think this Menuki’s motif is the Karajishi (唐獅子), especially due to its curly hair. It seems the entire surface was initially colored with golden paint. The Shishi (獅子) means a lion in Japanese, and the Karajishi is a lion brought from the continent to Japan in the Toh period (唐, Tang dynasty, 618-907). The Karajishi typically has curly hair for its head, neck, body, and tail, as you see in this work. In Buddhism, the Karajishi is regarded as a symbol of wisdom, and Monju Bosatu (文殊菩薩, Manjushri Bodhisattva) rides lions. According to a theory, the Karajishi is the origin of Komainu (狛犬, stone guardian dogs that exorcize evil spirits). It shows that this beast motif has been familiar to Japanese people since ancient times. Tsuba and Habaki This oval-shaped Tsuba has a dazzling appearance due to its design and color. The thin metal plate is attached to its edge and adds decorativeness to this work. It also has practicality, such as preventing the wear of the edge part. Also, it prevents the wear and tear of the Kimono if the edge damages it by touching the cloth. The theme of this Tsuba is the same as the Fuchi Kashira. Both the front and back sides are connected to form a single image, depicting a single dragon swimming in the sea (or this dragon seems to be flying over the sea). 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 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. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on Dec 3rd in the 3th year of Reiwa (2021). They appraised it as Hozon Touken, the blade worth preserving for Japanese society.
販売店の記載のまま
大和伝 · 大和
現在4点販売中
大和五派のうち、地鉄に総柾目を貫いたただ一門が保昌派である。その本拠は大和国高市郡、成立は鎌倉時代の末葉に置かれ、南北朝期へと続いた。古来寺院に付属して刀を鍛えた大和鍛冶の流れを汲み、同派の工は皆「貞」を通字とする。祖と仰がれるのは貞宗・貞吉で、両者は共に保昌五郎と称したと伝え、その下に貞清・貞興・貞光らが連なる。中にあって居住地と制作年紀を最も多く銘に記すのが貞吉であり、嘉暦三年紀の太刀に「大和国高市郡住」と切って活躍地・年代を明らかにする。貞清・貞興は貞宗あるいは貞吉に続く手とされ、現存する作はおおむね鎌倉末に収まる。 作風は一門を通じて均質で、まず地鉄に集約される。在銘・無銘を問わず総柾目肌を鍛え、柾が区より先まで通って棟へ抜け、地沸が厚くつき地景が頻りに入る。手掻・千手院・尻懸・当麻が柾がかった板目を鍛えるのに対し、保昌はこの純然たる総柾に徹し、説示も大和五派の中で最も作風の個性が顕著な一派と記す。刃文はその柾目に応じ、匂深く小沸のついた直刃を主とし、刃は地鉄と別に立つのではなく肌目にからんで頻りにほつれ、刃縁に喰違刃・二重刃・打のけを集め、金筋・砂流しがかかる。物打辺より上で焼幅が広がり一段と沸が強くつくのも一派の所作である。帽子は直ぐに掃きかけて焼詰めとなり、多くは返りを持たず、時に火焔風となる。茎には檜垣鑢をかけ先をぶっ切りとし、これも銘と並ぶ見どころをなす。工により振幅には差があり、貞吉の地刃は荒く沸が強く、やや時代の下る貞清・貞興の手は地刃ともに静かで精良に読まれる。短刀には小振りで重ねの厚い品のよいものが多い。 鑑定の勘所は何よりこの純然たる総柾目にあり、これによって同じ大和の手掻・千手院・尻懸・当麻と分かたれる。一門の諸工に際立った個性は見出しにくく、無銘作は個ではなく時代と作域から保昌と極められ、ゆえに在銘作では銘振りこそが工を分かつ。年紀と居住地まで記す貞吉が最も知り得る工で、藤代の極めでは最上作にあたり、貞清・貞興は二字銘や藤原を冠する四字銘を残すのみで年紀作を見ない。在銘作は短刀に多く、大磨上無銘の刀は後に金象嵌の極めを受け、埋忠家や本阿弥光一の銘を留めるものがある。伝来は大名家を貫き、肥後細川家を経た短刀をはじめ、毛利元康所持を記す大磨上の刀などが知られる。総柾目に徹したこの一門の作が市に現れることは稀で、ことに年紀ある貞吉の在銘作に接する機会は少ない。 詳しく見る →
室町時代の大和
大和を支えた大寺の力は室町を通じて衰え、諸派もこれとともに細った。末手掻が古風な柾目を量産のうちに伝えている。1567年の東大寺大仏殿の炎上が、寺院の時代の幕を引いた。
銘が正しい、または無銘でも年代・国・系統を確実に指摘できる、保存に値する真正の作と鑑定されたものです。
日本美術刀剣保存協会（NBTHK）は、1948年に設立され、文化庁の監督を受ける公益財団法人で、東京・刀剣博物館に本部を置きます。専門の審査員が出品作を直接審査し、美術的・歴史的価値に応じた鑑定書を発行します。NBTHKの鑑定書は、日本刀および刀装具の真正性を示す最も広く認知された基準です。
NBTHK公式サイトReturns/exchanges limited to defects caused by shipping (except willful misconduct or gross negligence by the company); customers must contact within 72 hours of receiving the product.