MUROMACHI ERA JUYO KOSHIRAE
Below is the translation of the Juyo Token Zufu papers for this fine koshirae. It is extremely rare to find a koshirae like this. This is a koshirae that was worn to battle by a lower ranking Samurai. The koshirae worn by generals and Daimyo (often very fancy and decorative) is often preserved. Koshirae like this one, however, worn by one of the rank and file Samurai did not survive in large numbers making this one very precious.
Designated Juyo Toso (Sword Mount) at the 46th shinsa held on the 5th of October, 1999.
Item: Uchigatana Koshirae with a black lacquered saya.
Dimensions: Entire length: 86.0 cent.; Entire curvature: 3.2 cent.; Handle length: 18.3 cent.; Handle curvature: 0.2 cent. ; Saya length: 67.7 cent.; Saya curvature: 1.9 cent.
Description of the Mounts: The handle is entirely wrapped in kangi-maki style with black leather. The fuchi has a polished yamagane ground and is without design. The base (tenjo) is shakudo with shigure-yasuri (same as sujikai-yasuri). The fuchi is unsigned. The kashira has a polished shakudo ground and is without design. There are places on the saya with black lacquered horn that are without designs (the kuchi, the kurikata, the kaeri-tsuno and the ura-gawara (kozuka slot piece). The kozuka has a design of a free-reed mouth organ (sho) with a shakudo nanako ground and high relief carving. The kozuka is unsigned. The tsuba is mokko-gata with a yamagane ground and go-san kiri-mon (paulownia crests with three and five stigmas on the pistils) done in kebori (line carvings). The tsuba is lacquered black. The mimi is squared and lacquered black. There is a kozuka-hitsu-ana. The tsuba is unsigned. There are two copper, silver covered seppa. The koshirae dates to between the end of the Muromachi period and the Momoyama period.
Discussion of the Mounts: The handle is wrapped in a style known as kangi-maki and is entirely wrapped in black leather. Although the menuki are completely covered by the wrap, I believe they are placed horizontally and have a long, narrow shape. The fuchi is yamagane and the kashira is shakudo, and both have polished grounds and no design. The kozuka has a shakudo nanako ground and a high relief carving of a mouth organ. The tsuba is mokko in shape with a yamagane ground and line carvings of go-san kiri-mon. The tsuba is covered in black lacquer and the rim has a large sized, squared mimi. The tsuba has several sword cuts in the mimi as evidence of usage in battle. The horn pieces are without designs and are black lacquered with a ting of red, which reveals their age. The variety of horn pieces and metal fittings is certainly austere with an artlessness that is highly desirable. In particular, the handle wrap in kangi-maki style is especially appealing. We can attribute this koshirae's period of manufacture to between the late Muromachi period and the Momoyama period.
PRICE: $ 18,500.00
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