UK
Sword Register No: 84
TYPE: Shinto wakizashi
Nagasa: 45.8 cm
Moto-haba: 3.1 cm
Saki-haba: 2.4 cm
Sugata:
Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, deep tori-zori, wide mihaba and o-gissaki.
Jihada:
A tight ko-mokume with some ji-nie, masame in places near the hamon.
Hamon:
Gunome-midare in nie-deki, long rising yakidashi with a slight midare,
sunagaeshi throughout the nioi-guchi and some kinsuji, some nie-kuzure. The
boshi is slightly pointed, hakikake and ko-maru with kaeri, two small gunome
near the yokote on both sides.
Nakago:
Ubu with one mekugi-ana, o-sujikai yasurime, ha-agari kuri-jiri, signed
on the omote KOSUKE DAIJO HISAKUNI.
This blade has a wide mihaba and
together with the o-gissaki, a strong and robust appearance. The deep zori is
very noticeable and when considering shinto blades, indicative of Genroku period
(1688-1703) manufacture. (few blades date from this time and there were no
swordsmiths of particular note active). The hamon is quite wide with large
gunome and is comprised of rather coarse nie. The yakidashi is long and is in
the Kyoto style. Overall the sword is very healthy and in a good state of
polish.
Hisakuni was from Tosa province on
Shikoku Island, not a province that was particularly active in sword production.
He was the adopted son of Kunimori and his personal name was Kimura Heiuemon.
Whilst in Tosa, it seems that Hisakuni worked under Kunimasu who also had the
title “Kosuke Daijo”. Other associated smiths included Morikuni, Kunimichi,
Kuniyuki and Kunitoshi whose descendants worked through into late shinshinto
times. Swords by these swordsmiths are considered to be quite rare. It also
seems that these swordsmiths had some kind of relationship with the swordsmiths
of the Mishina family in Kyoto.
According to Fujishiro, Hisakuni went
up to Kyoto in the Kanei era (1624-1643) but this seems much too early a date.
However, in Kyoto he became a pupil of Omi (no) Kami Hisamichi. Actually it was
Kinshiro Hisamichi who was the nidai Hisamichi. I suspect, because of the Kyoto
style of the yakidashi, that this current work was made at this time, rather
than in Tosa.
Again, according to Fujishiro,
Hisakuni died in Kanpo Gannen (1741) – hence my doubts over the previous
dating. It is also unclear when Hisakuni was awarded the “Kosuke (no) Kami”
title. However, there is a recorded example in Shinto Taikan that is dated Koho
Jusannen (1728) which still has the Kosuke Daijo mei and so it must be
subsequent to this time. Fujishiro rates Hisakuni as chusaku.
There are no modern Japanese papers of
authentication for this sword which is contained in a han-dachi koshirae.
Clive Sinclaire
Bexley
March 2007
Wakizashi
signed Kosuke Daijo Hisakuni (reduced size)