Lot 63A
East Asia, Japan, Edo period, ca. 1661 to 1673 CE. Signed "Bungo ju Fujiwara Moriyuki" in Japanese script on tang. A striking steel sword known as a wakizashi bearing a shinogi-zukuri shape, an iori-mune profile, and the signature "Bungo ju Fujiwara Moriyuki" in Japanese script on one side of the tang. The scabbard (saya) is shuro powder finish urushi lacquered wood, while the handle features a copper relief of a lobster and is wrapped with stingray or shark skin (samegawa) and cotton straps (tsuka-ito) and finally topped with an iron cap (kashira). The temper line is wavy chusuguba temper pattern and has deep turn back temper at the point. A gilt copper habaki or blade collar sits at the bottom of the blade just above a copper tsuba with gilt floral and zoomorphic reliefs, 3 copper and gilt copper spacers and an engraved, copper fuchi. Size of blade: 17.7" L x 1.2" W (45 cm x 3 cm); of sword without sheath: 26.1" L x 2.9" W (66.3 cm x 7.4 cm); with sheath: 27.3" L x 2.9" W (69.3 cm x 7.4 cm)
The sheath is further adorned with a silvered copper end cap (kojiri) and knob (kurikata), a resin mouth (koiguchi), and a cloth cord (sageo). All is held together with one petite wooden peg known as a mekugi.
This traditional Japanese sword was both a weapon and a symbol of authority and social status. The wakizashi paired with the longer katana sword marked the wearer as a samurai. The shorter sword was seen as an auxiliary weapon, also used for fighting in close quarters. Wakizashi could also be worn by non-samurai if worn alone, and members of the merchant class (chonin) wore them because of the frequency of encountering bandits when traveling between Japan's cities.
Over the centuries that katana and wakizashi were made, the process of their manufacture became heavily regulated. For example, in 1683, the Tokugawa Shogunate made laws concerning the maximum size of katana and wakizashi. Meanwhile, once a samurai took ownership of his new weapon, he had to wear it in a highly regulated manner. Wakizashi and katana in this period were both deadly weapons and signs of prestige. The craftsmanship of this piece is evident and reflects hundreds of hours of work.
Provenance: private Jones collection, Boulder, Colorado, USA
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#188750
- Condition: Chip to sheath and some light scratches to blade, but otherwise, intact and excellent with good remaining detail and gilding. Signed "Bungo ju Fujiwara Moriyuki" in Japanese script on tang. Acccompanied by cloth carrying bag with cord.
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