Page 135 - 2019 September 11th Bonhams Japanese and Korean Art NYC

972
A BIZEN WAKIZASHI WITH IMPRESSIVE
MOUNTS
The sword by Bizen Munetsugu (active
1864-1865), the fittings by Hagiya
Katsuhira (1804-1886)
Edo period (1615-1868) and Meiji era
(1868-1912, dated 1864 and 1871
The blade honzukuri, iorimune, toriizori with
an extended tip, forged in ko-itame hada and
with a suguha temper in nie with ko-ashi and
an o-maru boshi, the omote side carved with
a dragon chasing a flaming pearl and the ura
side with a hoko, the ubu tang with kiri file
marks and two holes, signed Bizen no suke
Fujiwara Munetsugu and dated Ganji gannen
sangatsu hi (A day in the 3rd month of 1864),
with a one-piece gilt-copper habaki, 21 1/2in
(54.4cm) long

The 19th-century mounts comprising a
black-lacquer saya mounted with matching
silver fittings with gold takazogan decorated
with tigers in bamboo, including an extended
sayajiri with a tiger by rocks and a stream
under a grove of bamboo, the cat’s stipes
highlighted in gilt, a kurikata wrapping around
the saya and carved with a tiger on a rock,
and a koiguchi with clouds and bamboo
leaves, dated Meiji yon kanoto-hitsuji
chushun kore o horu (Carved in February,
1871), fitted with a kozuka with a copper
and silver handle decorated with waves in
kebori, the tsuka fitted with a fuchi carved
as a snarling tiger by a rushing waterfall,
signed Seiryoken Hagiya Katsuhira gyonen
rokuju hachi (Seiryoken Hagiya Katsuhira at
age 68) and with a kao, and a kashira with
a crouching tiger, signed Katsuhira and with
a kao, the large gold and shakudo menuki
formed as tigers, the russet-iron plate tsuba
with a tiger on rocks among bamboo, looking
down at a rushing waterfall in iro-e takazogan
signed Mito no ju Hagiya Katsuhira (Hagiya
Katsuhira of Mito), with a kao and dated Meiji
yon kanoto-hitsuji chuto (November, 1871)

$3,500 - 4,500

FINE JAPANESE AND KOREAN ART | 133