Lot 50
East Asia, Japan, Muromachi period, ca. early 16th century CE, signed "Masamune" along one side of the tang. A forged-steel wakizashi that is signed along the tang with "Masamune," a swordsmith taught at the Shitahara school who was active 1521 to 1528 CE. The blade exhibits a shinogi-zukuri form with a diamond-shaped (iori-mune) profile. The wavy temper line (gunome-choji) is formed by the tight hammer-folded graining (itame-hada) and bears an attractive kogunome pattern. Both the handle (tsuka) and hand guard (tsuba) are a tight fit - the handle with a pair of kirin menuki beneath the wrappings, and the marugata tsukashi tsuba is adorned with a floral motif. The top and bottom caps of the handle (fuchi & kashira) showcase nice detailing and traces of gilding while the scabbard (saya) is adorned in verdant green lacquer (urushi). Size (w/ sheath): 35.1" L x 2.75" W (89.2 cm x 7 cm); (blade): 21.5" L x 1.125" W (54.6 cm x 2.9 cm)
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; ex-private Sacramento, California, USA collection
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#174067
- Condition: Blade, fuchi, kashira, and tsuba are from the stated period; handle, handle wraps, scabbard, and scabbard strap are likely from later periods. Minor oxidation to tsuba, fuchi, and kashira, with very slight bend to exterior half of blade, light abrasions to blade faces, otherwise in excellent condition. Wonderful polishing to blade and great patina to Muromachi-period iron components. Please note that the blade is still incredibly sharp; handle with caution.
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