Oishi Kuranosuke Chusetsubun Warikogai: Wakasa no Kami Minamoto Masasada

寸法

全長19.75センチ　幅10.5ミリ

Accessories

桐箱

Weight

重さ37.8グラム

As written by the shop

Machine translation from the shop's Japanese · may contain errors · Show original

This work, bearing the mei of Wakasa no Kami Minamoto Masasada, is a warigogai that expresses a strong spirituality through the neat form of the tetsu-ji and engraved characters alone, without relying on flamboyant iroe or takabori of flora and fauna. Regarding Wakasa no Kami Minamoto Masasada, currently available materials are insufficient to confirm his location of activity, lineage, or period of activity; however, in the work of aligning the width and thickness when the two kogai are joined, and arranging characters of different content on the omote and ura while engraving each character with good balance onto the long, narrow ji, one can perceive a certain skill in handling iron and a compositional power to transfer calligraphic intent into kinko. Engraved on the omote are the two phrases "Manzan fuju kun-on ju, Ippatsu fukei wagainochi kei," expressing a resolution of loyalty stating that lordly favors are heavier than all mountains, and while even a single hair is not light, one considers one's own life light in the face of those favors. These words are famous for being reportedly engraved by Oishi Kuranosuke Yoshio on a tsuba of his own making and are known as a phrase symbolizing the Ako Gishi; rather than a mere quotation of Chinese poetry, it is a subject extremely appropriate for tosogu, condensing the spirit of obligation, loyalty, and self-sacrifice valued by bushi. The engraved text is distributed across the two ji, with "Manzan fuju kun-on ju" placed on the right piece and "Ippatsu fukei wagainochi kei" on the left piece; by doing so, the paired phrases form a single composition when the left and right are joined, and the very structure of the warigogai resonates with the antithetical expression of the text. The characters are engraved powerfully stroke by stroke while varying in depth and thickness, highlighting the content through only the calm gray of the tetsu-ji and the shadows of the engraved lines, allowing one to appreciate the flavor of archaic calligraphy from the front and the three-dimensional work of the tagane biting into the iron from an angle. Rectangular sukashi are provided on the left and right of the kashira respectively, with lines and rhythmic steps placed above and below them to tighten the start of the composition, and by adding a band-like partition at the boundary between the section holding the engraved text and the sao that extends thinly toward the tip, a clear rhythm is given to the whole while restraining decoration. When the two are aligned, the central seam becomes a single axis creating a neat appearance, and when viewed separately, the characters, sukashi, ridgelines of the sao, and the sharp gathering of the tips on each piece can be confirmed individually, providing a wealth of appreciation unique to the warigogai where one can move between a single form and two structures. On the ura, the mei "Wakasa no Kami" and "Minamoto Masasada" are cut separately on the left and right, concisely indicating the maker's name in response to the text of loyalty on the omote. The composition, which leaves the ji wide on both omote and ura and does not fill the margins with patterns or colors, is intentional so that the texture of the iron, the long straight lines, and the power of the engraved characters take center stage, and the gentle light and shadow appearing on the well-used tetsu-ji add the depth of age to the rigorous appearance of the time of production. This tetsu-ji warigogai, featuring the words conveying the loyalty of Oishi Kuranosuke, a clever composition where the paired phrases are only completed when the two pieces are joined, and the maker's mei, is blessed with both documentary value and narrative quality; for those who collect designs related to the Ako Gishi or Chushingura, tosogu expressing the bushi spirit, or works where calligraphy and kinko are integrated, it possesses an especially unmissable charm. Emitting a dignified presence distinct from gaudy decoration, it is a high-style work to be cherished at hand for a long time, where the meaning and form quietly overlap the more one takes it from the kiri-bako and reads through the characters one by one.