Important Kodama Tsunenaga Wakizashi
S0226
SOLD
A well mounted wakizashi by Kodama Tsunenaga. Inscribed, 彦坂紹芳使侍士児玉常永鍛之乗暇自淬刃. Shinogizukure, iroi mune, chu kissaki, shallow sori. Hawatare: 1 shaku 6 sun 6 bu 3 rin (50.4 cm / 19.84"). Motohaba: 3.15 cm. Sakihaba: 2.23 cm. Kasane: 6.8 mm. Nioi deki chu suguba ko notare, ko choji, ashi iri, one slight koichigaiba. The habuchi is even, wide, and looks like a soft cloud. The boshi is ko maru with a medium kaeri. The jigane is a tight itame nagare, with a rolling masame in areas. The ubu nakago is signed with a long inscription. Kodama is preceded by the kanji for samurai. Kodama Tsunenaga worked around Bunka (1804) and was a member of the Suishinshi Masahide mon. He is referenced in the Nihonto Meikan on page 588. A clean blade with some minor scuffing in the kissaki.
The tsuka is wrapped with blue ito; copper horned demon menuki; beautifully carved and sculpted fuchi-kashira by Hamano Haruchika (Haynes H.0773.0). Haruchika, circa 1850, was a student of the second Hamano Haruyuki. The tsuba is a high quality Namban with whimsical dragons. The brown and black stippled saya flairs out at the end. The saya fittings are all a light tan copper alloy. The kozuka is an early shakudo nanako ground it a man in a gold hat trying to pull Fujisan with a rope. Great condition and color. the kogatana is signed, Yamaguchi Masakiyo. Good copper habaki with a rich patina. Old hand woven two color silk sageo.
This is a special order sword, for an Osaka magistrate, Hikosaka Tsuguyoshi, who was magistrate in the 1790s. This signature shows that Tsunenaga was Samurai. There is a tsuba by Ito Namitoshi, that is inscribed that Kodama Tsunenaga made the plate. The entire translation is difficult, and I have had three different versions. That it is a special order for the Osaka magistrate is not in question. One read it as made during his leisure time, another that the sword cuts with anger, the third is as it appears below. All three translations were done by competent people. Two native speakers. One of the difficulties with translating Japanese is that one kanji can have many different meanings.
The sword comes with and old silk sword bag. $7,500
彦坂紹芳使侍士児玉常永鍛之乗暇自淬刃
Fuchi-Kashira by Haruchika.
