説明
Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Signed by Morinao
with NBTHK
Tokubestsu
Hozon
Certificate
【Description】
This blade was signed by Houfu Jinshin Kitsune Maru Morinao (豊府臣神狐丸盛尚) during the Tenpo era (
1831-1845:
Late Edo period), according to its NBTHK appraisal. Houfu is another name for Bungo province located in today’s Oita prefecture. Jinshin Kitsune Maru is the title used by this sword maker. Based on the maker’s name, we believe Morinao belonged to Takada school.
Takada school was originally founded by Takada Tomoyuki, the father of Tokiyuki, in Takada village, Ohita prefecture, during the Nanbokucho period. (1334-1338 A.D). Tomoyuki went to Bizen province(today’s Okayama prefecture) to master the sword-forging techniques of BIZEN and came back to the village and trained his apprentices. That is how Takada school started. Those who forged swords in Takada village before the Edo period are called Taira Takada and Fujiwara Takada during the Edo period. The blades made before the Muromachi period are categorized as Ko-Takada (Old Takada) swords.
Generally speaking, Kyushu island was prosperous in sword-making because of the long trading history with Asian countries. To gain an advantage in trading, many feudal lords on this island fought against each other. Takada school was able to receive many orders as the demand increased among those lords. The material of Japanese swords(high-quality iron sand and charcoal) was abundant in the mount
Sobo Katamuki, located near Takada village. We believe Takada school prospered because of its geographic location and natural resources.
This blade 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)
:
47.4
cm (18.6
inches)
Curvature(Sori)
:
0.8 cm (0.31 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 surface of this Fuchi Kashira is decorated with the Nanako-Ji (魚子地) technique. This process makes a uniform minimal protrusions pattern by hitting the Nanako-Ji Tagane (魚子地鏨, a chisel for this technique) on a metal surface. This decorative technique is often seen on sword mountings.
About the design, we could find the figures of people. Who is particularly impressive is the person depicted on the Kashira piece. One is a man wearing a hat, and the other is probably a man wearing deer fur. We don’t know what they’re doing, whether they’re trying to hide among wild animals in the mountains, or whether they’re just wearing them as winter clothing, but either way, portraits are the theme of this work. It seems so. While some colorings have already faded due to aging, golden paintings adds decorativeness to this work.
Tsuka and Menuki
:
Tsuka is the handle of the Japanese sword and Menuki is its decoration.
A horse is the motif of this Menuki. The same as the Fuchi Kashira, golden paint was initially applied to each Menuki. Horses have been around human life for a long time, not only as our food but also for transportation or carriage of luggage. In Japan, horses were thought of as vehicles for gods to be dedicat
