Japan - Lot 132

Japan Shin-shintô tanto by Nagahiro, dated 1864, Meiji era frame Blade : Sugata: Hira-zukuri, Jihada: fine masame ko-itamen, some fine chikei. Hamon: suguha (slightly notare) in chu-nie and ara-nie, sunagashi and ko-ashi evenly spaced forming a ko-gonome, hotsure. Bôshi: o-maru slightly midare and notare-komi. Horimono: Fudo Myo-o (omote); gomabashi (ura) Nakago: Ubu with two mekugi-ana, mei: "Suô [no] kuni Nagahiro hori dô saku" (made and engraved by Nagahiro in Suô province), dated "Genji 1 (1864), 8th month". Nagasa: L. 24.7 cm Shinryushi NAGAHIRO usually worked in Suô and Nagato. He is said to have been a pupil of Bizen Yokoyama Sukenaga (cf. Hawley). Nagahiro is recognized as an expert in horimono. Aikuchi koshira-e (mount without tsuba): The saya in gold and silver hiramakie lacquer decorated with the three friends of winter (pine, prunus and bamboo) on a nashiji background, with a ko-gatana with blade inscribed "Tashiro Gen'ichi Kanemoto saku", the kozuka and wari-kogai in shakudo decorated with pine and bamboo inlaid in gold and copper takazogan, signed Ichiden (circa 1800). The tsuka in coarse-grained shagreen (same) with two shakudo, gold and silver menuki representing a peach on its stem with flower and leaves, fuchi-kashira and koiguchi in gold-lacquered horn. In a modern green silk case and walnut box (kiribako). L. 39.7 cm (total) L. 18.9 and 8.3 cm (kogatana and kozuka) ; 15.2 cm (kogai) Blade repolished in 1994 by Laurent Milhau. Provenance : Sotheby's London sale, April 1, 1993, lot 238. Collection of Mr. Y.M.