刀剣
SOLD
Tracked across 76 dealers worldwide · price history · sold archive
Specifications
60.9 cm
2 cm
2.6 cm
1.8 cm
About the maker
Kozori Shigeyoshi重吉
Osafune Shigeyoshi (重吉), third generation, worked in Bizen Province during the Meitoku era (1390-1394) and belongs to the group of late Nanbokucho-period Osafune smiths commonly referred to as *ko-sorimono* ("small-curvature works"). According to sword catalogs, the first generation was the son of Kagesuke and worked during the Kagen era, the second generation during Genko, and the third generation during the Joji and Meitoku periods. The *ko-sorimono* smiths constitute a distinct group within Osafune that does not belong to the lineages of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Motoshige, Morikage, and the like. Besides dated examples from Meitoku, blades dated Oei 1 are also known, placing Shigeyoshi at the transitional phase from the *ko-sorimono* group toward what is termed Oei-Bizen. The *kitae* characteristically displays *itame-hada* mixed with *mokume* and flowing grain, with the texture standing slightly and fine *ji-nie* attaching. A vivid *midare-utsuri* frequently appears. The *hamon* is predominantly *ko-notare*-based, into which *gunome*, *choji*, and pointed (*togari-gokoro*) elements are interwoven; in certain works the *midare* becomes a fine, small-patterned complexity thoroughly characteristic of the *ko-sorimono* manner. The temper is *nioi-gachi* with *ko-nie*, and slight *tobiyaki* may appear, yielding a bright *nioiguchi*. Among the *ko-sorimono* smiths, conspicuous individuality is generally not seen; the forging tends to display a mixture of various *hada* textures, and the *hamon* is at times somewhat uneven, tending to become slightly subdued (*kozumu*). Shigeyoshi is a smith whose surviving works are extremely rare, making each confirmed piece of considerable documentary importance. Works that are both signed and dated are especially valuable as reference material for understanding the *ko-sorimono* school. The signature is characteristically small in scale, and in at least one instance is presented as a decorative, embellished *tachi-mei* -- a rare treatment for the period that warrants particular attention. Despite the general uniformity ascribed to the *ko-sorimono* group, Shigeyoshi's finest works display notably accomplished workmanship, and the inclusion of a blade in the Imperial Collection further attests to the esteem in which his production is held.
