Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
A Soshu school tanto | Signed Hirotsugu | Muromachi period, 16th century
Lot Closed
March 25, 03:18 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 USD
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Description
A Soshu school tanto
Signed Hirotsugu
Muromachi period, 16th century
Sugata [configuration]: hira-zukuri, iori-mune, slight sori
Kitae [forging pattern]: itame mixed with mokume-hada in places with ji-nie and chikei
Hamon [tempering pattern]: notare, yakidashi, progressively wider towards the boshi, tobiyaki, utsuri, yo and ashi, muneyaki
Boshi [tip]: ko-maru boshi with steep turnback
Nakago [tang]: funagata, two mekugi-ana
Habaki [collar]: single-clad, copper-gilt
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 31.8 cm. long, 12⅜ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3 cm., 1⅛ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Koshu Kicho Token [Precious Sword, First Rank], no. 222888 ssued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], Showa 56 (1981).
Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 36.
There were several smiths who used the signature Hirotsugu, but this is most likely to be the one working in Sagami Province (Soshu) during the mid-16th century.