WAKIZASHI, MUMEI IN KOSHIRAE DEPICTING LEGEND OF NASU no YOICHI (1169-1232)

SUGATA: SHINOGI ZUKURI (SZ)

MEI: MUMEI

DATE: NONE

NAGASA: 54.93cm (21.625″)

OVERALL: 73.98cm (29.125″)

MIHABA: 2.54cm (1″)

KASANE: 0.63cm (0.25″)

SORI: 0.625”

NAKAGO: UBU

MEKUGI ANA: ONE

YASURIME: KIRI

MUNE: IORI

HADA: KO-ITAME

HAMON: O-CHOJI MIDARE

BOSHI: KOMARU

HORIMONO OMOTE: NONE

HORIMONO URA: NONE

HABAKI:  1 PC. GOLD FOIL

KOSHIRAE

This is an antique ubu, mumei wakizashi mounted in a beautiful modern made koshirae which utilizes antique fittings.

The sword is in very good polish and is very nice. The Sugata and additional information gathered from the work itself would suggest Shinto and possibly Shinshinto. The nakago is ubu with one mekugi ana The nagasa is quite long for a wakizashi at just over 21”. The hamon rises nearly to the shinogi ji. It contains clouds of nie, and various other hataraki.

The Koshirae has a fairly new saya and tsukaito. I am not sure how old it is, or where it was made, but it is certainly not antique. It has an attractive red base highlighted with gold swirls. The koiguchi, kurgata and kojiri are either horn or lacquered wood. The tsuka has very nice large node same (ray skin) and I suppose the tsukaito was done when the new koshirae was put together. The fittings are antique and very nice and in a battle scene depicting Nasu no Yoichi.  The fuchi depicts a battle scene with several warriors locked in mortal combat. The kashira depicts a warrior on horseback, perhaps again Yoichi.

The Tsuba is awesome and done in a Hamano style rendition which portrays the legend of Yoichi. Nasu no Yoichi was a Samurai of the Minamoto Clan. During the battle of Yashima, part of the Gimpei wars, in 1184 the Tiara clan was driven from Kyoto. The story relates that the Tiara took one or more sacred fans as they fled. These fans, Hino Maru (sun disk), were said to possess the ability to recoil arrows against the enemy.  The fan was attached to the ships mast and there is always a court lady shown on the deck (?). A challenge was made to Minamoto Yoshitsune to attempt shooting the fan. The challenge was accepted by Nasu no Yoichi who rode on horseback into the waves, and with a well place shot from his bow shattered the fan.

SOLD