Chikushi Ryokai Naginatanaoshi Wakizashi
S0172
SOLD
A mounted koto wakizashi
attributed to Chikushi Ryokai. Naginatanaoshi, mitsumune. There is a naginata
hi, and a remnant of a soebi on one side. Hawatare: 1 shaku 4 sun 5 rin (44
cm or 17.32"). The hamon is suguba ko-midare with gunome, sunagashi,
kinsuji, hotsure, in very tight ko nie deki, and all aspects are in miniature.
There is tobiyaki. The habuchi is extremely bright, as are the fine kinsuji and
sunagashi. The jigane is an itame nagare packed with ji nie. There is profuse
nie utsure. There are some areas of pin point openings that are of no
importance. NBTHK Hozon Kanteisho. Chikushi Ryokai is listed in the
Nihon To Meikan with a double circle, and working in later Nambokucho,
around Oan jidai (1368-1375). Yamashiro Ryokai moved to Chikushi, Buzen
province. I would have thought that this was a later work, but the Meikan
only lists one other Buzen Ryokai, who worked around Chokyo (1487-1489),
however, he was in Usa, not Chikushi.
The tsuka is Higo style dark brown
leather tsuka maki with external soft metal menuki of mushroom, egg plant, etc.
The fuchi-kashira are chrysanthemums are yamagane, there is a shakudo rim on the
fuchi. Prehaps Shoami work. The iron tsuba, signed Kunihiro, has a shakudo
mimi. The saya is brown lacquer with horn koiguchi and kurikata. The kojiri,
presumably horn, is missing. The habaki was foiled at one time, but that is no
longer there. This blade needs and deserves a better polish.
NBTHK Hozon Kanteisho
Nihon To Meikan
1957