Ujifusa Katana
S0120
SOLD
An o-suriage katana attributed to Ujifusa. Hawatare: 2 shaku 0 sun 5 bu (62.12 cm or 24.46"). Motohaba: 3.26 cm. Sakihaba: 2.39 cm. Kasane: 6.6 mm. Shinogizukure, mitsu mune, deep torri zori, o-kissaki. Large choji midare patterns tempered in very fine ko nie, kinsuji, sunagashi, gifu, nado. The jigane is tight itame nagare, profuse ko ji nie, chikei, gifu, nado. There is horimono of a bohi on one side and suiken on the other. Both horimono extend into the nakago. While he is rated Chujo Saku in Nihon Toko Jiten - Koto Hen, that is belied by the valuation of 6,500,000 yen in Shibata's Toko Taikan. His blades have the sharpness rating of Wazamono. Two piece Higo shakudo and silver habaki with boar eye sukashi, shirasaya, and accompanying koshirae, NBTHK Hozon Kanteisho. Shirasaya bag.
The koshirae is Higo style. Chinese red saya with an iron kojiri decorated with a dragonfly on a textured ground, a scrolled border, and boar's eye sukashi on either side. An excellent kaeri tsuno of deep black shakudo with a nanako ground, and kiri mon in gold. The tsuka is tan doe skin maki over black same. The fuchi-kashira are Edo Higo, a waisted fuchi with gold nunome kiri and vines on iron. The long menuki are arrows in a quiver in shakudo, gold, and silver. The Higo tsuba is in the form of a rounded diamond, with beveled namako (dried eviscerated sea cumber) sukashi, deep black shukudo mimi and sekigane. High quality multi colored sageo. Koshirae bag.
Wakasa No Kami Ujifusa is the son the shodai Wakasa No Kami Ujifusa (Bunki 1501 - 1504), the son of Seki Kanefusa. There is a question if he had first succeeded to the name of Kanefusa, but when he moved to Mikawa Owari, he signed Ujifusa. There are dated works from Eiroku 13 (1569) to Tensho 16 (1588). He also signed, Saemonjo Fujiwara Ujifusa, Wakasa No Kami Fujiwara Ujifusa, etc.