説明

Antique Japanese Sword Wakizashi Attributed to Ise Daijyo Yoshihiro with NBTHK Hozon Certificate 【Description】 Summary This blade is attributed to Ise Daijyo Yoshihiro (伊勢大掾吉広), who was especially active during the early Edo period (mid-late 17th century) in Hizen province (Today’s Saga prefecture). He was an apprentice of the first-gen Tadayoshi, one of the most famous swordsmiths during the early Edo period. Yoshiro’s work has a close resemblance to his master Tadayoshi. His birth name was Yoshizaemon (吉左衛門). He received an honorable official title of Ise Daijyo from the emperor for his excellent craftsmanship during the Kanbun era (1661-1673). The first-gen Tadayoshi (His master) The first-gen Tadayoshi was born and raised in the Saga domain. In 1596, under the domain’s order, he went to Kyoto to learn the sword-forging technique from Umetada Myojyu(埋忠明寿), one of the greatest swordsmiths in the early Edo period. He improved his craftsmanship and returned to the Saga domain two years later (1598). The first head of the Nabeshima clan, Nabeshima Katsushige, appreciated the work of the first-gen Tadayoshi very much. Then, Katsushige appointed him as his Okakaekaji, a swordsmith who exclusively forged swords for a specific domain or clan. And Tadayoshi started to stay near Saga castle, the Nabeshima clan’s headquarters. And he founded Hizen Tadayoshi school, which trained more than 100 swordsmiths during the Edo period. Yoshihiro is one of them. Hizen Province The swordsmiths in the Hizen province worked under the auspices of the Nabeshima clan, a powerful feudal family. They produced beautiful Jigane (steel surface)-patterned blades, also known as Hizen To, using and mixing carbon steel made in western countries. Hizenkoku had been flourishing through international trading. The geographic location of this domain made it possible to have easy access to western carbon steel. Horimono Horimono is an engraving on the Japanese sword. Japanese sword was the integral weapon that divided the life and death of warriors. They expressed their wishes for divine protection by applying their religious objects to the Horimono. The Fudo Myo-O (不動明王, acalanātha) and the Kurikara Ken (倶利伽羅剣) are those kinds of popular designs, as seen in this sword. The Fudo Myo-O is a protective Buddhist god, notably in Japanese Shingon Buddhism. According to a theory, it is the incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai (大日如来, Mahāvairocana, the principal image of esoteric Buddhism). This god was also known as a god of wars and brought the Kurikara Ken (倶利伽羅剣). It is believed that the Kurikara-Ken could cut off worldly desires: Sandoku (三毒). The Sandoku is the three fundamental human desires; Ton (貪, greed), Jin (瞋, anger, grudge), and Chi (癡, delusion, complaint). Now, please look at the picture of the Nakago part. You would find a sword engraved on this sword; it is the Kurikara Ken. And the other side of the Nakago, you would also find a rope pattern. This rope is called the Kensaku/Kenjoaku (羂索), which symbolizes the work of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to save all living things in the world. A ring is attached to one end of this twisted thread, and a half shape of the Dokkosho to the other end. The Dokkosho (独鈷杵) is a kind of Kongo-Sho (金剛杵, Buddhist alter fittings used in esoteric Buddhism) and is called vajra in Sanskrit. The Kurikara Ken and the Kensaku are both attributes of the Fudo Myo-O. Although the Fudo Myo-O itself isn’t present on this sword, we could associate these motifs with this god. This type of design is called the Rusu Moyou (留守模様). It is a design that evokes the main characters and stories by drawing symbolic backgrounds and belongings without the figure of the person a maker wants to express. There are many works with carvings of Fudo Myo-O on the blade of Japanese swords. However, the figure of Fudo Myo-O is not always carved as in this work. By knowing such a euphemistic way of expression, we wonder if there is a broader range of ways to enjoy vie