Owari Den Wakazashi (fss-462)
Mei: mumei
Date: shinto 1600's
Nagasa : 14-1/2 "
Sori: 12.0mm
Width at the ha-machi: 30.2mm
Width at the yokote: 28.7mm
Thickness at the mune-machi: 7.6mm
Construction: shobu-zukuri
Mune: iori
Nakago: ubu
Kitae: itame
Hamon: gunome midare
Boshi: ko maru
Condition: good polish
This sword with beautiful horimono reminds one of the great koto blades from an earlier era. The blade was papered to Owari-seki den by the NBTHK. There is beautiful horimono of Suken and Bonji on one side with Gomabashi on the other. The blade is very healthy and in a good polish. The hamon in a very active gunome-midare and utsuri appears. A well worked fantastic hada of itame is appreciated.
A number of great smiths worked in the Owari tradition.
At the end of the Muromachi period, a number of swordsmiths migrated from Mino province to Owari as part of the great dispersal of Mino talent across the country. This group became known as the Owari Seki school.
Famous for being the birthplace of Oda Nobunaga, Owari became the fief of Tokugawa Yoshinao in 1607. The capital of the province was the castle town of Nagoya which attracted many swordsmiths. Also in Owari, the ancient castle of Inuyama, originally built in 1435, was strengthened and commanded by Naruse Masanari and his descendants. It was at Inuyama that Sadahiro resided and produced swords.
There are three smiths named Sadahiro listed in Hawleys (SAD 375, 376, 377). It is unclear whether this represents two or three separate generations, but the latter two include Inuyama in their mei. As these two are given working dates of 1684 and 1688 respectively (i.e. post Kanbun) and SAD 375 is given with a pre-Kanbun date, it is thought that the Sadahiro discussed here is likely to be one of the former (i.e. Sad 376 or 377) if indeed these are not the same man.
There was a traditional relationship between Mino and Owari provinces with reciprocal movement of smiths between them. The lord Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) began to expand his conquests outwards from his centre in Owari. Oda defeated Imagawa Yoshimoto at the battle of Okehazama, and in 1564 his general Toyotomi Hideyoshi defeated the Saito clan of Mino. A large number of smiths migrated from Seki to Gifu (capital of Mino) and Nobunaga's residence. Nobunaga was assassinated in Tensho 10 (1582) by Akechi Mitsuhide before he realized his long-term ambition of uniting Japan, having about one third under his control. Nobunaga was succeeded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who pursued the goal of unification.
In 1584 Tokugawa Ieyasu submitted to Hideyoshi who then consolidated his military strength. In Tensho 13 (1585) Hideyoshi conquered Shikoku island, and in 1587 began the conquest of the island of Kyushu. In Tensho 18 (1590) he defeated the Hojo clan of eastern Japan the last major defiant group, and the daimyo Uesugi in the north then followed. Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in Keicho 3 (1598). Government was then by a group of five ministers (as Hideyoshi's heir Hideyari (son of 5 years old)), led by senior minister Ieyasu. Ieyasu was patient and gradually gained more power, then virtually complete power after the battle of Sekigahara in 1600.This sword has a wonderful original koshirae of the Higo style with stylized string wrap with horse menuki. The saya is a blazen lacquer of reds, oranges and gold.
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FULL IMAGE
Details
KOSHIRAI
PAPERS
KANTEISHO
DEN OWARI SEKI
SOSHIN
Length: A little over 1 shaku 2 sun 1.5 bu
September 18, 2011
NTHK
No. 17,471
Mei inscription: Mumei
Kitae: Itame
Hamon: Gonome midare
Boshi: Suguba ko-maru
Horimono: Omote - Suken & Bonji, Ura - Gomabashi
Nakago: Two mekugi ana, (of these, one is plugged?) Yasurime is katte sagari.
Remarks: Owari no Kuni, around Kaanei (1625-1644)
This sword is on consignment.
~SOLD~
Order number for this item is : fss-462
Email us if your interested in this item at info@nihontoantiques.com
5k
