Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection

A Kiyomaro School tanto | Signed Minamoto Masao | Edo period, 19th century

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March 25, 03:45 PM GMT

Estimate

10,000 - 12,000 USD

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Lot Details

Description

A Kiyomaro School tanto

Signed Minamoto Masao

Edo period, 19^th century

Sugata [configuration]: hira-zukuri, iori mune, slightly thick kasane, no curvature

Kitae [forging pattern]: dense itame with much jinie attached, chikei

Hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome midare, ashi, subdued noiguchi which is slightly wide

Boshi [tip]: maru boshi with turn back on the omote and jizo boshi on the ura

Habaki [collar]: single clad, gold on copper, chased and engraved

Nakago [tang]: ubu, katte sagari yasurime, one mekugi ana

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro

Koshirae [mount]: the saya decorated on a black and red lacquer ishime ground, the fittings in nanako, the shakudo tanto tsuba, shakudo kozuke engraved with triple stylised wild geese (kari mon), the gilt menuki in the form of coiled dragons

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 26.6 cm., 10½ in.

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 2.7 cm., 1 in.

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of Preservation], no. 140724 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 7 (1995).

Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 63.

Minamoto Masao (active circa 1850-1866) was the student of Minamoto Kiyomaru (1813-1854), who was widely considered as the greatest of all shinshinto smiths, becoming known as the 'Yotsuya Masamune' during his production period in Edo. Kiyomaru worked in several early styles, but was particularly skilful in the Soshu tradition established by the fourteenth century smith of fame Goro Nyudo Masamune (circa 1264-1343). Masao continued his masters work in the Soshu tradition.

An example of a wakizashi by Masao is in the collection of the British Museum, museum number OA+.3800.a-b, go to:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_OA-3800-a-b