SOSHU HIROMASA WAKIZASHI JOJO SAKU

Shoshu Hiromasa Wakizashi

S0135

A fine Shoshu wakizashi. Hawatare: 1 shaku 4 sun 5 bu (43.94 cm or 17.3"). Motohaba: 2.89 cm Kasane: 5.3 mm. Hirazukure, iroi mune, slight zori. Tempered in nie deki the hamon is an exuberant cacophony of patterns: gunome midare; large and small hako; yahazu (arrow notch); saka gunome; hotsure; ashi; yo; sunagashi; both fine and wide, long and short brilliant kinsuji; gifu; profuse hataraki; nado. The boshi is togari with very little kaeri. The jigane is mokume, itame majiri. There is profuse ji nie, chikei, and gifu chikei. There are horimono of a ken, short futatsubi, and bonji artistically carved, one of the characteristics of Nambokucho Soshu. The nakago is o-suriage, and the hamon continues back to just behind the middle mekugi ana corresponding to horimono, so this blade was originally about 6 cm longer. Mounted in shirasaya, with an excellent niju silver habaki, and NBTHK Hozon kanteisho.

The first Soshu Hiromitsu he is believed to be part of that extended family, and his dates correspond with that of a grandson. After Hiromitsu and Akihiro, from Oei jidai the Soshu school did not florish. The Nihonto Meikan lists six generations of Hiromasa, the latest working in Eisho (1504 - 1521), however the mere dimensions would make this an unlikely choice. The Toko Taikan notes that the sandai was of the Soshu Hiromitsu school, and values these smith from the shodai at 5,500,000 yen and decreasing 500,000 yen each generation though the fifth, which rated 4,000,000 yen. However, this is belied by the quality rating in Nihon Toko Jiten - Koto Hen, which rates the fifth generation as Jojo saku. Also, the Nihonto Meikan rates the second, fourth, and fifth as being more skillful than the shodai. Whichever generation this proves to be, it is superlative workmanship, done by a true artist. $9,000

gunome midare; large and small hako; yahazu (arrow notch); saka gunome; hotsure; ashi; yo; sunagashi; both fine and wide, long and short brilliant kinsuji; gifu; profuse hataraki;