Tantō - 古董短刀，署名“吉次”（吉次）的鞍马石派，附有刀装。 - 日本 - Muromachi period (1333-1573)

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【Important notes – Swords】

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【Product details】

This is a genuine traditionally forged Japanese tantō signed Yoshitsugu (吉次), a name of considerable historical interest. The blade dates to around the Meiō era of the Muromachi period, circa 1492, giving it more than 500 years of history.

The swordsmith Yoshitsugu is known as belonging to the school referred to historically as Kurama-seki. Originally associated with the Sanjō Yoshinori line of swordsmiths in Kyoto, this group is said to have fled the devastation of the Ōnin War (1467–1477) and moved to Seki in Mino Province, where they absorbed the forging techniques of the Mino tradition. After the conflict had settled, they are believed to have returned to Kyoto and continued their work near the gate of Kurama-dera. As such, swords by Yoshitsugu are especially compelling as works that reflect the meeting of Yamashiro and Mino traditions, and they offer an evocative link to the turbulent history of the samurai age.

The tantō is mounted in an elegant antique aikuchi mounting without a sword guard. The hilt and scabbard are finished in darkened black lacquer with age-related discolouration. The hilt is decorated with leaf inlays, while the fuchi is fitted with an exceptionally unusual and attractive shakudō nanako fitting carved in relief with deer and autumn grasses. In Japanese art, deer are closely associated with the autumn season and can suggest grace, sensitivity, and the quiet beauty of nature, while autumn grasses evoke refinement, transience, and poetic seasonal awareness. Nanako is a refined metalworking technique in which the surface is punched with extremely fine dot-like marks to create a uniform granular ground. Although some punches can form multiple dots at once, the finest work is executed dot by dot, and craftsmen capable of producing true ichiryū nanako were said to be very few.

This sword comes with a copy of its Firearms and Swords Registration Certificate from Saitama Prefecture, number 50884, as the original will be returned to the government. The certificate details are as follows: Type: Tantō, Length: 23.4 cm, Curvature: 0.0 cm, with two peg holes, and an inscription reading “Yoshitsugu” on the obverse, issued on 31 May, Showa 53 (1978).

This is very old piece and it shows some age and use. There is a tiny bending to the tip. The blade surface shows minor wear, scratches, small forging openings, and light rust. The habaki is scratched and slightly loose. The antique mountings also show surface wear, small scratches, patina, and verdigris. Signature and datation are subject to authentication. Please refer to the photos for details.

Overall length of the blade (including the tang): approx. 33 cm
Overall length including scabbard: approx. 38.5 cm

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Thank you for your interest, and happy bidding!