Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Lot closes
08:59:17
•
March 25, 03:15 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
Starting Bid
30,000 USD
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Read more.Lot Details
Description
A katana
Signed Bizen no kuni Hikosaemon no jo Sukesada (Hikosaemon Sukesada, Inspector Rank, from Bizen Province)
Muromachi period, dated Tenbun nijuichinen hachigatsu hi (a day in the 8th month 1552)
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, wide with a shallow saki-zori, chu-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: ko-itame that is tight and covered with ji-nie
Hamon [tempering pattern]: suguha style mixed with choji and gunome, there are ko-ashi and streaks of sunagashi, and a covering in ko-nie
Boshi [tip]: ko-maru with a long kaeri
Nakago [tang]: ubu, kurijiri, very slight curvature, katte-sagari yasurime, two mekugi-ana
Habaki [collar]: single clad, gold on copper, chased and engraved
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro
Koshirae [mount]: the black lacquer saya on a simulated wrapped baleen ground, the mokko-gata tsuba depicting red-capped cranes above reeds water, shakudo rim, the gilt menuki in the form of a quiver, the fuchi-kashira inlaid in gold with hanabishi
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 63 cm., 24⅜ in.
Sori [curvature]: 1.6 cm., ⅝ in.
Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2.2 cm., ⅞ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.1 cm., 1¼ in.
Kissaki nagasa [length of the kissaki]: 3.9 cm., 1½ in.
Nakago nagasa [length of the tang]: 18.4 cm., 7¼ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Juyo Token [Important Sword], no. 4234 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 25 (2013); and with fitted softwood storage box inscribed with attestation, seal of R. B. Caldwell. (103 cm. long).
The tsunagi-e on the omote reads:
Japanese art sword polisher Tomofuji Masa
The tsunagi-e on the ura reads:
Polished in Portland 1966. Made this shirasaya in Dallas, 1969 at the request of R. B. [Caldwell]
The inscription on the fitted wood storage box has been translated as:
Designated Juyo Token at the 21st issuance.
Osafune Hikozaemon no jo Sukesada, a resident of Bizen Province.
Osafune Hikozae no jo Sukesada, a resident of Bizen Province
A day in the 8th month 1552
The ji-ha is healthy, and the work is excellent. Among similar blades, it is typical. Designated Juyo Token on the first of May 1973. An auspicious day in May the first calendar sign, the Year of the Tiger, Showa 1974, Sato Kanzan.
The sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro has been translated as:
Designated at the 31st Juyo Token [Important Sword] Examination
Osafune Hikozaemon no jo Sukesada of Bizen Province
This has a nagamei and a Tenmon 21 (1552) era dating. This smith is famous, along with many smiths who assumed the name of Sukesada along with additional name of '-zaemon'; his technical skill was excellent. This sword is an excellent piece that is representative of this same smith. It is tempered in suguha, and shows exquisite forging and is an excellent piece of work.
February 2011, the Year of the Metal Rabbit according to the 28th term of the sexagenary cycle.
Confirmed by Tanzabe Michi and kao [cursive monogram].
Randolph B. Caldwell (1924-2005)
Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 30 and 82.
There are a great number of smiths using the Sukesada name among Sue Bizen school works. Representative smiths from this school are Hikozaemon no jo, Yosazaemon, Genbei no jo and Hikobei no jo. Sue Bizen school works often display open-waisted irregular convex arcs (koshi-hibiraki gunome-midare) in which the points of the arcs become doubled (fukushiki), or are suguha in style with ashi and yo. This katana is in the later style.
Randolph B. Caldwell (1924-2005) was born in Texas. He studied at the Culver Military Academy and was commissioned Pilot Officer, flying B-29s and B-24s during World War II. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, making his career in investment banking until his retirement in 1986. Familiarly known as "RB", he started collecting swords in 1958 and was the most active of the American collectors at the time. He helped with the organisation of several Japanese sword judging committees (shinsa) and brought the first Japanese swordsmith to the West.
