IZUMI NO KAMI KUNISADA RS

Izumi no Kami Kunisada

S0526

RECOVERED THANKS TO JOHN KARATA OF RICE CRACKER

With the yen at 148 to a dolar, to be competitive, this is now $4,750

An ubu wakizashi by the first generation Kunisada. Signed, Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kunisada / Motte Dotsu saku kore (made with Chinese steel). Shinogizukure, a wide blade with toriizori, iroi mune, chu kissaki. Hawatare: 1 shaku 4 sun 4 bu 8..7 rin (43.9 cm or 17.28") . Motohaba: 3.65 cm. Sakihaba: 2.268 cm, Kasane: 4.92 mm. Nie deki chu suguba, profuse ko nie, deep bright habuchi, elongated gunome midare, long tobiyaki, hataraki, kinsuji, nado. tight itame with fine ji nie, long chikei, nado. The boshi is hakikaki. In extra heavy shirasaya with a waisted gold wash copper habaki. He made katana that are rated Juyo Token. Rated jojosaku in Fujishiro's Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto Hen, with a sharpness rating of wazamono. Valued at 8,000,000 yen value in Toko Taikan , and the multiple pages of coverage in Shinto Taikan In good Japanese polish, NBTHK Tokubetsu Kicho, April 7, 1980. The Tokubetsu Kicho certificate, noted B. S. g. h., the code for genuine papers from the NBTHK during a period when many forged certificates were in circulation.

He is often referred to as Oya Kunisada, since he was the father of Shinkai., and credited with founding the Osaka school of sword smithing. He was most active around (1624 - 1644), he died in Keian go nen (1652). Legend has him as studying under Horikawa Kunihiro. However, family papers, including those of Shinkai, have him studying under Echhigo no Kami Kunitoshi, which makes more sense stylistically. He had moved from Hyuga to Osaka by 1621. There is a dated example signed, "Sesshu Osaka ju Fujiwara Kunisada". He received the title of Izumi no Kami in 1623. Interestingly Homma Kunzan thought that his general work was superior to that of the second generation, Izumi no Kami Kunisada (Shinkai), although other references rate and value Shinkai's work much more highly.