tanto;
blade
- Museum number
- 1958,0730.101.a
- Description
-
Sword blade (tanto). Carving of negative impression of Fudo's sword and dragon on obverse; square-ended broad groove with accompanied narrow groove on reverse. Made of steel. Signed. With mounting (registered separately).
- Production date
- 19thC
- Dimensions
-
Length: 27.40 centimetres (without tang)
-
Curvature: 0.40 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Harris 2005
This broad 'tanto' blade is 'hira zukuri'. There is a carving of a 'so kurikara' on the 'omote' and there are square-ended 'bohi' with a 'soehi' on the 'ura'. The unmodified tang has two holes and the file marks are 'kesho' and 'sujigai'. The tang tip is 'iriyamagata'. The grain is closely packed, almost indiscernible 'koitame'. The luxuriant 'hamon' is 'choji' in 'nioi' with long 'ashi', many 'yo' and a tight 'nioiguchi'. On the 'komaru boshi' there is a 'tobiyaki' formation known as 'tsuki ni kumo' (literally 'clouds across a moon').
The shape of the blade is reminiscent of the fourteenth-century masterpiece known as 'Hocho Masamune' (there are three 'tanto' of identical shape named Hocho Masamune, which are all designated as National Treasures) and may have been modelled on it. The grandfather of the smith referred to in the inscription was Ozaki Suketaka (d. 1805). He used the two titles 'Nagato no kami' and 'Nagato no suke'.
The scabbard is lacquered black with sparse gold 'nashiji' and decorated with a damask of maple leaves in red lacquer, formed by using real leaves to make impressions in the lacquer, and then applying the coloured lacquer. All the fittings are of iron with inlaid depictions of maple leaves and cherry blossoms. The hilt is wrapped with silk and the 'menuki' depict bamboo. The 'fuchi' is signed 'Yoshiaki'. The assembled mounting dates from the Meiji era.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1958
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1958,0730.101.a
