Page 179 - Fine Chinese, Japanese and Buddhist Art September 28, 2018 Galerie Zacke
P. 179

178
                                                                   A TANTO BY KUNIYOSHI
                                                                   Japan, Edo period (1603 – 1868) (blade and koshirae)
                                                                   Blade
 176  177                                                          Even shape with iori mune and bohi, nakago with two mekugi-
 A TANTO IN A LACQUERED SAYA DEPICTING A DRAGON  AN AIKUCHI DAGGER  ana, kiri jiri. Mei (signature) HO 寸 KUNIYOSHI ⚗ ⎱, Ho being an
 Japan, Edo period (1603 - 1868) (blade and koshirae)  Japan, Edo period (1603 - 1868) (blade and koshirae)  abbreviation for Bungo or Buzen province. Swordsmiths named
                                                                   Kuniyoshi worked in both of these provinces.
 Blade  Blade
 Shobu tsukuri with quadruple hamon, very lively and approaching toran-ba. Nakago   Straight shape with iori mune.   With a laminated Japanese expertise.
 with one mekugi-ana, kiri yasurime and kuri jiri.
 Koshirae                                                          Koshirae
 Koshirae  Saya and tsuka with green-grey and partly black         The iron tsuba has an oval shape and is flat on both sides, with one
 Gilt habaki with neko-gaki and decorative carving. Black lacquer saya and tsuke with   lacquer finish. Copper kojiri and fuchi-kashira with silver   hitsu-ana and a wavy structure. Iron fuchi-kashira with landscape
 a dense, fine-grained structure and depictions in relief and partly with red lacquer.   takazogan, showing clouds in different shapes, possibly   motifs and some gold nunome and tenzogan. Both menuki with
 The saya shows a grim, scaled dragon surrounded by red flames. There is a signature   depicting various animals. With mounting eyelet.   gilt hoho (phoenix).  Kuro-urushi finished saya.
 towards the end of the saya. The tsuka shows three figures, one with a peach on his
 head, presumably the “Peach Boy” Momotaro. Horn fuchi-kashira and koiguchi.  Dimensions: 16.2 cm (nagasa), 28.7 cm (total length)   Dimensions: 26.2 cm (nagasa), 44.5 cm (total length)
 Condition: The blade in very good condition with only             Condition: The blade in good condition, with very minor blemishes
 Dimensions: 17.7 cm (nagasa), 29.2 cm (total length)   minor surface scratches. Parts of the nakago are missing.   and tiny nick to the blade edge. The koshirae in good condition
 Condition: The blade in very good condition with only very minor wear.   The koshirae in complete condition, but with a worn   with minor wear to lacquer. The kozuka is missing.
 The koshirae in excellent condition.    lacquer surface.          Provenance: Hungarian private collection
 Provenance: Hungarian private collection  Provenance: Austrian private collection
                                                                   EstimateġEUR 1.500,-
 EstimateġEUR 600,-  EstimateġEUR 400,-                            Starting price EUR 750,-
 Starting price EUR 300,-  Starting price EUR 200,-




 176                                                                                                            177
   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184