The Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armour
The Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armour
The Property of a Gentleman
A Fukuoka Ichimonji kodachi | Signed Nori (fusa) | Kamakura period, 13th century
Lot Closed
May 10, 01:51 PM GMT
Estimate
22,000 - 24,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
The Property of a Gentleman
A Fukuoka Ichimonji kodachi
Signed Nori (fusa)
Kamakura period, 13th century
Sugata [configuration]: Honzukuri, iori-mune, chu-kissaki, shallow torizori (1.3 cm), standard mihaba and kasane
Kitae [forging pattern]: Tight ko-itame with some mokume and visible utsuri
Hamon [tempering pattern]: Flamboyant slanting o-choji midare forged in nioi, mixed with some gunome with ashi, plentiful tobiyaki and yubashiri
Boshi [tip]: Midare komi
Nakago [tang]: Suriage [shortened] with kate sagare yasurime [slanted file marks], signed Norifusa ('Fusa' partially rubbed)
Habaki [collar]: Gold, single clade
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki [attestation] by Hon’ami Nisshu (1908-1996) attributing the blade to Fukuoka Ichimonji Norifusa and documenting the blade as an heirloom of the Tosa Yamanouchi family, dated 1982
Koshirae [mount]:
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 57.8 cm., 22¾ in.
Sori [curvature]: 1.3 cm., ½ in.
Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 1.6 cm., ⅝ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 2.7 cm., 1⅛ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of Preservation], no. 1016959 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Reiwa 3 (2021).
Tosa Yamanouchi family (as described on the shirasaya)
The Bizen swordsmith Norifusa is the founder of the Katayama Ichimonji school. It is thought that this Kencho era (1249-1256) smith was the son of Fukuoka Ichimonji Yoshifusa. Norifusa was originally a Fukuoka Ichimonji smith who eventually settled in Katayama, where he founded the Katayama Ichimonji school. Katayama was in the vicinity of Fukuoka in Bizen, although there were similarly named areas in the neighbouring province of Bitchu. The typical style of Katayama Ichimonji is the slanting vibrant choji, as characterised by this kodachi.
The Yamanouchi daimyo family were a clan of Japanese feudal lords, who from 1600 to 1868, dominated the important fief of Tosa on the island of Shikoku.
The sayagaki is inscribed:
Fukuoka-Ichimonji Norifusa
Heirloom of the Tosa Yamanouchi family.
Tang shortened and cut off below the character Nori.
Production time around Kenchō (1249–1256).
Blade length ~ 57.8 cm
Written by Hon’ami Nisshu in September of 1982, year of the dog, cursive monogram
福岡⼀⽂字則房
⼟佐⼭内家御伝来
磨上中⼼則以下切ル
時代建⻑之頃
⻑サ壹尺九⼨壱分有之
昭和五拾七歳戌⻑⽉誌之本阿弥⽇洲「花押」