Crescent Moon, the 'Mikazuki Kanemitsu' from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Crescent Moon, the 'Mikazuki Kanemitsu' from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
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March 25, 02:01 PM GMT
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Description
Crescent Moon (Mikazuki)
Signed Bishu Osafune Kanemitsu (Kanemitsu from Osafune in Bizen Province)
Nambokucho period, dated Enbuan gonen rokugatsu hi (a day in the 6th month 1360)
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri, iori mune, wide mihaba, long nagasa, shows in relation to the width of the mihaba a thin kasane, does not taper noticeably, deep koshizori that increases towards the tip, o-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: excellently and densely forged ko-itame that is mixed with mokume, the hada mixed with some o-hada on both sides at the base, there is plenty of ji-nie, fine chikei, and a midare utsuri appears
Hamon [tempering pattern]: gently undulating notare-cho in ko-nie deki that is mixed with ko-gunome, ashi, yo, a few sunagashi and kinsuji at the base, and tobiyaki along some valleys of the notare, the nioiguchi is rather tight and bright
Boshi [tip]: midare-komi, pointed kaeri on the omote, pointed ko-maru kaeri on the ura, the kaeri only runs back briefly on both sides
Horimono [carvings]: the omote features bohi with tsurebi above a so no kurikara, the ura with further bohi with tsurebi above koshibi with suebi and a single bonji
Habaki [collar]: single clad, gold, copper liner
Nakago [tang]: the tang is completely ubu from the machi to the nakago-jiri, it ends in a kurijiri that tends to ha-agari, has katte-sagari yasurime, two mekugi-ana (the lower hole is the ubu mekugi-ana, the upper one was added later to mount the sword as an uchigatana)
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 80.6 cm., 31¾ in.
Sori [curvature]: 3 cm., 1⅛ in.
Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2.3 cm., ⅞ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.3 cm., 1¼ in.
Kissaki nagasa [length of the kissaki]: 5.8 cm., 2¼ in.
Nakago nagasa [length of the tang]: 20.1 cm., 7⅞ in.
Nakago sori [curvature of the tang]: 0.4 cm., ¼ in.
Saki-kasane: 0.5 cm., ¼ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Juyo Token [Exceptionally Important Sword], no. 971 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 20 (2008).
Uesugi Kagekatsu (1556-1623), and thence by descent
American private collection;
Where acquired by Paul L. Davidson in 2007
Uesugi Kagakatsu, Uesugi Kagakatsu koshimono mokuroku [Personally Written Sword Inventory of Uesugi Kagakatsu], circa late 16th – early 17th century
Count Uesugi Noriaki, Tairanhin mokuroku [List of Inspected Swords] (1925)
Token bijutsu [Sword Art], with full length oshigata-fold out, January 2007, New Year issue no 600, first page fold out.
Token bijutsu, issue no. 610, (November 2007), p. 38.
Uesugi ke no meito to sanjugo koshi [Treasured Swords of the Uesugi Clan] (Tokyo, 2018), inset later added
Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 16.
Shinsaku Meito Ten Award Ceremony, Tokyo, December 2006
Japanese Sword Museum, Special Exhibit, Tokyo, January 2007
Japanese Sword Museum, Tokyo, Juyo Exhibit, October – November 2007
Japanese Sword Museum, Tokyo, Tokubetsu Juyo Exhibit, May – June 2008
Japanese Sword Museum, Special Sword Exhibit National Treasure and Important Cultural Property, NBTHK Convention, November 2008
Sano Museum, Mishima, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, Treasured Swords of the Uesugi Clan, January 7 – February 18, 2018
The sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro has been translated as:
Osafune Kanemitsu of Bizen Province
Ubu tang, six-character signature with a fifth year of Enbun era date. The shape is heroic, the jigane is highly energetic and, in addition, the yakiba is serene. The tempering is notare, and the additional carvings in the sword blade are typical and skilfully rendered. Both the workmanship and the level of preservation make this blade preeminent among similar swords, which we can say shows the standard of this work to be, in all probability among Kanemitsu swords. A gem of a blade. This same smith’s characteristics are clearly exhibited and the workmanship is splendid. This blade cannot be valued enough.
Blade Length: two shaku, six sun and six bu.
Written by Tanzan on an auspicious day in December, the Year of the Dog, the third calendar sign this year.
The inscription on the hanging scroll by Tanobe Michihiro has been translated as:
Bishu Osafune Kanemitsu
Dated a day in the sixth month of the fifth year of the Enbun era
This is the representative work of O-Kanemitsu. Both the workmanship and the preservation among similar works is preeminent. We can say that this is a jewel among this smith’s swords. The most cherished sword of Mr Paul Davidson, the President of the American Branch of the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword.
Length: two shaku, six sun and six bu.
Written by Tanzan on an auspicious day in December, the Year of the Dog, the third calendar sign this year.
