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Hisamichi Wakizashi

S0484

SOLD

REDUCED:  $1,150

An interesting o-suriage wakizashi inscribed, "Komei (old signature) Omi no Kami Minamoto Hisamichi / Izumi no Kami Kunihide Ageru* Kore  (presents this)."  Shinogizukure, iroi mune, chu kissaki.  Hawatare:  1 Shaku 2 sun 5 bu 3 rin ( 38.1 cm / 15").  Motohaba:  2.26.  Sakihaba:   1.54.  Kasane:  4.3 mm.  The hamon is an o-gunome midare.  There will be ashi iri and ko-nie. The boshi will be in Mishina school style.  The condition of the blade precludes a better description.  The hada will be itame.  The style of the Hisamichi signature is very much in keeping with how the three generations signed, to the point of accepting the mei at first glance.  There were three generations of Hisamichi, all of whom signed Omi no Kami Minamoto Hisamichi.   The sugata and hamon indicate that this would be the work of the sandai, who worked around Shotoku (1711-1716).   Note the Shinto Taikan reference below.   Valued at 2,500,000 yen in Toko Taikan.  This is a sword well worth a polish.

Izumi no Kami Kunihide, who shortened the blade, was a student of Satsuma Masayoshi (正幸).  He worked around Bunka (1804-1818).    

The black tsuka ito over good quality same.  The fuchi is Mino school shakudo nanako with flowers in shakudo, gold, and silver takazogan.  Planks in shakudo and red copper.  The kashira black horn.  The well detailed menuki are shakudo  gold and silver.  I don't understand the image, but it has what is perhaps a shakudo hat, a feather and hashi.  The other looks like a lunch box, again in shakudo and gold.  The waisted habaki is high quality blue black shakudo.  The tsuba and kozuka are missing.  The saya is good black lacquer with some damage.                 $1,750

*With thanks to Fred Weissberg and Bob Benson for supplying information on an alternate reading and meaning for the kanji for present, that wasn't in my dictionaries.