Katsumitsu & Harumitsu Tanto
S0244
SOLD
Pried from the clutches of a collector who had just recently had the blade polished. A sliver mounted hamadachi* with an in polish blade with a double signature. Ubu nakago signed, Bizen Kuni Osafune Ju Katsumitsu Dosho Ju (living at the same place) Harumitsu, dated Eisho jugo nen hachi gatsu kichijitsu (a fortunate day in August 1518). Hirazukure, uchizori, iroi mune. Hawatare: 9 sun 3 bu (28.2 cm / 11.1"). Motohaba: 2.67 cm. Kasane: 7.1 mm. Nioi deki gunome notare midare with saka gunome choji within. Deep soft habuchi, ashi iri, kinsuji, gifu, hataraki, nado. O-mokume nagare tending toward itame toward the mune. Chikei, nado. New polish. While this has never been to shinsa, in my opinion, it would not be considered genuine.
The solid silver koshirae are late 19th century. The tsuka has black tsukaito. The tsuka was masterfully reconstructed by Mike Price using contemporary fuchi-kashira and Mino style silver menuki. The tsuba, koiguchi, kurikata and elaborate kojiri are done in silver wave designs. The kozuka seems to be by the same hand, and has gold chidori on a silver ground with waves in takabori. The silver umebari appears to have a grass design, and I believe it is cast silver. The seppa are heavy silver. The black textured lacquer is intact. Silver habaki.
*In this case, the mountings are defined by the tsuba. Tanto have a solid outer profile. Aiguchi (meeting mouth) have no tsuba. Hamadachi have openings on the side where the kozuka and kogai are mounted.
Bizen Kuni Osafune Ju Katsumitsu Dosho Ju Harumitsu
Eisho Jugo Nen Hachi Gatsu Kichijitsu
466
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