Description:

East Asia, Japan, Edo period, ca. 17th to 18th century CE. A striking pair of Japanese carbon steel kogatana knives, one with a wooden sheath and hilt and the other in a padded wooden box. First, the knife with the wooden sheath and hilt features a nie-deki suguha hamon and a slim, double-sided blade, which is signed "Mino Kami Fujiwara Masatsune" in Japanese script. Alternatively, the knife in the wooden box is signed by Kinkazan Fujiwara Kiyonaga who was working in the Mino province. Inscribed on the tang is an old Chinese poem, translating roughly to: "The legacy accomplished of a thousand years of deeds of our ancestors is treasured greatly by royalty. This is not said directly through as the martial spirit is about overcome hardships but remain positive though." Size of larger (knife in box): 8.2" L x 0.6" W (20.8 cm x 1.5 cm); of knife with sheath: 8.8" L x 0.9" W (22.4 cm x 2.3 cm); of box: 10.1" L x 2.8" W x 1.3" H (25.7 cm x 7.1 cm x 3.3 cm)

The poem is dedicated to fallen enemies, conveying a message of giving tribute to fallen adversaries and lamenting the fallen comrades.

Provenance: private Kihei, Hawaii, USA collection, purchased from AOI Art, Tokyo, Japan, February & March 2017

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#189491

  • Condition: Both have some light softening of detail and abrasions to surface, but are otherwise, intact and excellent with light patina.

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October 18, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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