Katana (Long Sword Blade)
- Description
- Katana (long sword) blade. Made of steel. Signed and inscribed. Stored in wooden storage sheath, inside purple fabric bag.
- Producer name
- Made by: Yokoyama Sukesada
- Made by: Okinari
- Production date
- 17thC
- Production place
- Made in: Bizen (kuni)
Asia: Japan: Honshu: Bizen (kuni)
This blade and sheath is made out of steel, wood, copper, gold, ray skin, metal textile and shakudo.
Dimension Length: 68.60 centimetres (cutting edge) (cutting edge) Curvature: 1.50 centimetres Curator's comments Harris 2005
This blade is 'shinogi zukuri' and of Kambun-era (1661-73) 'shinto' shape. The unmodified tang has one hole and the file markings are 'kiri'. The tang tip is 'kurijiri'. The grain is a well-ordered and prominent 'itame'. The 'hamon' is open 'gunome' mixed with 'togariba', with a tight 'nioiguchi' predominantly in 'nioi'. The 'boshi' is a straight 'komaru'.
Yokoyama was the family name of several generations of smiths working in the village of Osafune in Bizen Province during the Edo period from around the third decade of the seventeenth century. They signed with a number of titles including the 'Kozuke daijo' of this sword and 'Kawachi no kami' (no. 47). This sword has a large 'choji hamon' in 'nioi' in traditional Bizen style and a clear finegrained body, although sometimes a form of 'utsuri' is found on the work of the group.
The classic 'uchigatana' mounting has a plain black-polished scabbard as required for formal wear in Edo. The 'fuchi' and 'kashira' bear scenes from the adventures of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, and the 'menuki' represent helmets, 'naginata', and bows and arrows indicating the Gempei wars of the twelfth century. The 'tsuba' (col. pl. 15) is of deep black 'shakudo' in the form of a stylized chrysanthemum blossom, pierced with a gold-inlaid Buddhist 'horin' (wheel of the law) and with a 'tomoe' motif. Acquisition date is 1958 and is from the dpeartment of Asia.
- Registration number
- 1958,0730.143.a-d