TWO JAPANESE KATANA (SWORDS), ONE IN SHIRASAYA

TWO JAPANESE KATANA (SWORDS), ONE IN SHIRASAYA
POSSIBLY MUROMACHI AND EDO, 14TH AND 18TH CENTURY

The first with a lacquered scabbard decorated in nashiji and with malachite inlays; the tsuba of mokko shape in gold and shakudo with dragon roundels, the fuchi-kachira modelled as ho-o birds amongst clouds, and with ho-o menuki; the blade 73.7cm, shallow koshi-zori, shinogi-tsukuri with bo-hi either side, toran hamon of nie and nioi, itame-mokume hada, ubu-nakago; the mei for Tsuda Omi no Kami Sukesada, possibly dated Hoei, 3rd year (corresponding to 1707), 8th month; the other katana blade in shirasaya with paper collection labels for 'Tomkinson Collection 96', measuring 70.6cm, koshi-zori, shinogi-tsukuri with double hi either side midare hamon of nie and nioi, itame-hada, suriage-nakago with two mekugi-ana, kinzogan-mei (signed in gold) Muramasa. (4)

Provenance: the Tomkinson Family Collection. The katana in shirasaya originally collected by Michael Tomkinson (1841-1921) and thence by descent.

Literature: the same katana listed in M Tomkinson, A Japanese Collection Made by Michael Tomkinson, vol.I, p.152, no.96, where it is dated as 14th century.