Nobukuni Yoshimasa Wakizashi

S0323

SOLD

t.

A shinto wakizashi signed, Minamoto Nobukuni Heishiryo Yoshimasa Saku.   Ubu, shinogizukure, iroi mune, chu kissaki, shallow sori.   Hawatare: 1 shaku 7 sun 5 bu 6 rin (53.2  cm or 20.94").  Motohaba: 3.04 cm.  Sakihaba:  2 cm.  Kasane: 6.1 mm.  Suguba ko-midare, with a tight bright habuchi, ko hanie.  The jigane is hadatatsu itame with jinie and chikei.  With the exception of one small scuff that can be seen in the second blade picture, the sword is in good polish. 

The saya is a Chinese red typically seen in Choshu and Satsuma, sliver kojiri with a rain pattern design, horn kurikata and koiguchi, slight splitting at the mouth.  The tsuka is wrapped in black tsuka ito, with a married fuchi-kashira, and plant pattern menuki.  The tsuba iron squared moku.  The habaki is gilt copper.

The second generation Minamoto Nobukuni Heishiryo Yoshimasa worked around Kambun (1662-1671).  Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto Hen rates him as Josaku.

This sword came from an elderly Japanese woman, and has never been to shinsa, so I cannot guarantee the signature.  However this is clearly a Kambun blade, and at a quick glace, the unusual spacing of his signature  is something that I haven't come across in the past.  In any case, I am selling this as a nice package, priced as a mumei blade.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    $2,500

Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto Hen

Nihonto Zuikan - Shinto Hen