Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Important Japanese Swords and Armour from the Paul L. Davidson Collection
Lot closes
02:07:58
•
March 25, 03:43 PM GMT
Estimate
10,000 - 14,000 USD
Starting Bid
10,000 USD
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Read more.Lot Details
Description
A tanto
Signed Chounsai Tsunatoshi (1st generation)
Edo period, dated Bunsei juninen jugatsu hi (a day in the 10th month 1829)
Sugata [configuration]: hira-zukuri, iori mune, wide mihaba and thick kasane
Kitae [forging pattern]: very tight hada appearing also muji hada, but faintly perceptible mokume hada with ohada, much ji-nie
Hamon [tempering pattern]: nioi-based beginning in suguha and becoming choji-midare mixed with gunome-midare, some small ashi and yo, slightly wide nioiguchi
Boshi [tip]: rounded maru boshi with slightly deep turnback
Horimono [carvings]: the omote finely carved, chased and engraved with Daikokuten, the ura with Sanskrit characters (bonji) above stylised lotus-flower pedestal (rendai)
Habaki [collar]: single clad, the fine oxidised silver habaki chiselled, chased and engraved with the Twelve Animals of the Zodiac, gilt details, signed Ippudo Seii and kao [cursive monogram]
Nakago [tang]: ubu, slightly flat kurijiri, kessho yasurime file markings, one mekugi-ana
In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]
Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 22 cm., 8⅝ in.
Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.5 cm., 1⅜ in.
Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Koshu Kicho Token [Precious Sword, First Rank], no. 75316 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Showa 56 (1981).
Art of the Samurai: The Paul L. Davidson Collection (New York, 2023), p. 64.
Chounsai (died in 1863) was born in Yonezawa in the province of Dewa. He traveled to the capital of Edo and studied under Suishinshi Masahide (see Lot 734). In 1854 he retired and gave his name to his son after which he took on the name Chojusai. Another example tanto by Chounsai (dating to 1854) is in the collection of the British Museum, museum number 1958,0730.47.a, go to:
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1958-0730-47-a
Ippudo Seii (born in 1795) worked in the Goto family lineage of fine sword fitting makers, and a student of the Goto Seijo school in particular. He commonly signed his works Seii, Goto Seii or Goto deshi Seii (Seii, student of Goto), or Goto Heibei Seii.
