Kanesada (兼貞)Wakizashi & Higo Koshirae
KK0522
SOLD
A kanesada (兼貞) wakizashi in Higo Kamiyoshi handachi koshirae. Hawatare: 1 shaku 5 sun 2 bu 7 rin. (46.355 cm / 18.35"). Motohaba: 2.738cm. Sakihaba: 18.95 cm. Kasane: 5.11 mm. Shinogizukure, iroi mune, chu kissaki. Niie deki, gunome midare, changing to chusuguba toward the machi. Fine, bright ko nie habuchi. He is rated josaku in Fujishiro, Nihon Toko Jiten - Koto-Hen, and valued at 3,500,000 yen in Tokuno's Toko Taikan. He has a sharpness rating of ryuwazamono. Pictured in Yumei Koto Taikan and Nihonto Zuikan - Koto.
The koshirae is ensuite Higo handachi tosogu. The fuchi-kashira, kojiri, and xxx are all iron with vines and leave is heavy gold nunome. The tsuba has unfortunately fallen off into a collector's hands, but it was of a piece. The tsukamaki is polished brown leather, over high quality white, large noduled same. The menuki are early, likely Muromachi, open work ko Mino of vines, berries, and leave in shakudo and gold. The saya has some splitting along the seam, but it is still solid.
There were four generations of this Kanesada, the signatures of the latter two are completely different and can be dismissed at a glance. The first generation worked around Eisho (February 1504 through August 1521), and is the smith pictured in Fujishiro. This most closely matches that of the second generation, who worked around Daiei (August 1521 through August 1528). Both the first and second generations have comperable ratings. This group of Seki smiths came from the ha of Tachima in Kyoto. Next to Kanemoto, Kanesada, and Kaneaki are he best of Suekoto Mino artists.
This sword came out of the Saint Paul Science Museum in the early 1960's, and has been in the hands if a Canadian collector until recently. It has never been shown, nor submitted to shinsa,
Nijimei Kanesada
Ensuite Kozuka & Kogai
Brown Leather Tsuka Maki
Ko Mino Menuki
Nihon Toko Jiten- Koto-Hen
Yumei Koto Taikan
Toko Taikan