Nanki Shigekuni Yari
M0023
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Right out of the woodwork, AKA gun show, a yonkaku palanquin yari by Nanki Shigekuni. Signed, Monju Nanki Shigekuni Tsukuru Kore. Nagasa: 4 sun 9 bu 5 rin (15 cm. or 5.9"). Cross bar 3 sun 2 bu 6.7 bu (9.9 cm or 3.89"). Pole 2 shaku 7 sun 4 bu 2 rin (83.1 cm 32.7"). Suguba ko midare, ko nie, fine sunagashi, kinsuji, long inazuma, ashi iri, nado all in proportion to the size of the yari. The jigane is itame nagare, fine ji nie. There are a couple of minor separations in the masame hada. In good old polish.
This would appear to be the work of the nidai, not the shodai, though I wish it were. He was active around Meireki (1655 - 1658). He became a kaji companion of Tokugawa Yorinobu, and his style includes works that greatly resemble the first generation Shigekuni. He is rated Josaku, with a sharpness rating of Wazamono, in Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto Hen by Fujishiro. Valued at 6,000,000 yen in Shibata's Toko Taikan; listed with a double triangle in Nihonto Meikan; and pictured in both Nihonto Zuikan and Shinshinto Taikan, as well as numerous other texts.
There are a great many counterfeits of the first generation, but the commonality among them is that they are unnatural and lack the fearlessness in the real signature. The third generation was not strong Yamato-den, and made simple suguba hamon. He also signed differently.