Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Lot closes
00:46:23
•
March 25, 03:08 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 60,000 USD
Starting Bid
40,000 USD
We may charge or debit your saved payment method subject to the terms set out in our Conditions of Business for Buyers.
Read more.Lot Details
Description
A Soden Bizen school katana
Attributed to Kanenaga (Kencho)
Nambokucho period, 14th century
Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri, iori mune, rather wide mihaba, high sori, greatly elongated o-kissaki
Kitae [forging pattern]: tight itame hada with nagare masame mixed in towards the ha, with ji-nie, and chikei is applied
Hamon [tempering pattern]: gunome and togariba are mixed in a main tone comprising a large pattern notare, ashi and yo are inserted, with abundant nie, the upper half is tight, and there is chikei
Boshi [tip]: midare-komi, the omote is ko-maru, the ura has a hint of togari, and both are hakikake
Horimono [carvings]: bohi and renbi are kakinagasu on the omote and ura
Habaki [collar]: double clad, gold on copper
Nakago [tang]: o-suriage, saki is kiri, yasurime is katte-sagari, very slight curvature (0.1 cm.). four mekugi-ana (one of which is plugged), unsigned
Habaki [collar]: double clad, gold on copper, chased and engraved
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard] with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro
Koshirae [mount]: the uchi-gatana style koshirae with brown ishime ground lacquer saya decorated with karakusa, shakudo-nanako fittings
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 68.6 cm., 27 in.
Sori [curvature]: 1.8 cm., ¾ in.
Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2.3 cm., ⅞ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.1 cm., 1¼ in.
Kissaki length: 5.7 cm., 2¼ in.
Nakago length: 12.1 cm., 4¾ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Juyo Token [Important Sword], no. 9012, issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 3 (1991).
Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 27 and 82.
Kanenaga is thought to have been a member of the Osafune Nagayoshi school. Among extant swords attributed to Kanenaga, there is a Juyo Bijutsuhin [Important Art Object] wakizashi dated 1366, as well as a Juyo Token [Important Sword] tanto dated 1387.
This katana is forged with a wide blade width (mihaba) and elongated point (kissaki) characteristic of the Nanbokucho period (1336-1392). The steelwork (jigane) is clear: the cutting edge displays a flowing straight woodgrain (nagare masame) that blends with a more standard woodgrain (itame) surface. A boldly undulating tempering pattern (notare hamon), typically associated with Kanenaga's vernacular, support the attribution to this smith.
