UK
Sword Register No.91
Mumei Koto Wakizashi,
attributed to Yoshioka Ichimonji.
Nagasa: 45.8 cm
Moto-haba: 2.8 cm
Saki-haba: 1.9 cm
Sugata:
Hon-zukuri with bo-hi and so-bi, ending in kaki-otoshi.
Tori-zori, iori-mune, ko-kissaki.
Jihada:
A compact ko-mokume with some itame near the machi, jifu-utsuri
throughout.
Hamon:
Choji-gunome midare based on ko-midare, nioi deki, many ashi throughout
and some yo. The boshi on the omote slightly midare-komi, whilst more gunome on
the ura, both sides with small kaeri.
Nakago: Probably suriage but reformed into a broad but short nakago with 3 mekugi-ana, two of which are filled, ha-agari kuri-jiri, the yasurime very clear, almost kiri but slightly sagari.
MUMEI: Attributed to Yoshioka Ichimonji
This
sword is of modest proportions and has a quite shallow zori. There is distinct
tapering towards the ko-kissaki and the excellent hamon, rather more subdued
than might be expected from the attribution, is in the old Bizen nioi-deki style
and features many ashi throughout its entire length. The quality of the piece is
further emphasised by the presence of jifu-utsuri in the ji. The nakago,
however, looks quite free of the deep patination one might expect from a sword
that is purporting to be about seven hundred years old. This is reinforced by
the clear yasurime.
The
Nihon Bijutsu To-ken Hozon Kyokai (NBTHK) have attributed this sword to the
Yoshioka Ichimonji school. This branch of the famous Ichimonji school of
swordsmiths was, as the name suggests, based at Yoshioka in Bizen province. The
founder was named Sukeyoshi and he is thought to have been active in the Sho era
(1288-1293) to the Kagen era (1303-1306). Sukeyoshi was the grandson of Sukemune
of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school. The entire Yoshioka branch worked from the late
1200’s to the mid 1300’s and the most famous and prolific was named
Sukemitsu, who left many fine examples in good condition.
Generally
speaking, Bizen Ichimonji swords are tachi with the broad and grand sugata of
the mid-Kamakura period, often with ikubi-kissaki. The hamon are flamboyant
nioi-deki choji-midare with choji-utsuri and o-mokume hada. Those with a
ko-mokume are more likely to have jifu-utsuri. Tanto and Kodachi are only seen
occasionally.
The
present swords, whilst unquestionably a good early Bizen piece, is not
immediately recognisable as a being Namboku-cho period workmanship, lacking the
grand sugata even in suriage form, which might be expected. If anything, it
might be placed rather later, say in the first part of the Muromachi period
((1396-1450). However, the shallow patination and the clarity of the yasurime on
the nakago seem to be an indication that the sword has been shortened and the
nakago re-shaped. The hi, carrying right through the nakago (kaki-otoshi) also
support this contention. This would suggest that, with the NBTHK’s attribution
taken into account, that the sword may be a shortened Kodachi of the Yoshioka
Ichimonji group.
This
sword was designated as Tokubetsu Hozon by the NBTHK at the August 2007 shinsa.
The sword is contained in shira-saya with a saya-gaki by Tanobe Michihiro.
Clive Sinclaire
Bexley, June 2008