13th Jun, 2025 10:00
Fine Japanese Art
120
KUNISHIGE: A SUPERB USHU TANTO IN A FINE SILVER-MOUNTED ‘DRAGON’ AIKUCHI KOSHIRAE WITH NBTHK TOKUBETSU KICHO SHODOGU CERTIFICATE AND INSCRIBED SHIRASAYA
Sold for €11,700
including Buyer's Premium
By Kunishige, signed Kunishige saku
Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Exhibited: On loan to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 31 December 1973.
The blade:
The sugata is hira-zukuri with iori mune, the hamon is notare in nioi-deki, the hada is itame and mokume. The boshi is of kaeri-fukai. The nakago with two mekugi-ana, the tip is haagari, the yasurime is kesho-yasuri, the mei reads KUNISHIGE saku [made by Kunishige].
The mounting:
The habaki is of silver with diagonal file marks and dew drops. The fuchi, kashira, koiguchi, sayajiri, and kurigata all of silver with scrolling clouds and a ishimeji ground. The tsuka with rayskin (samegawa) and brown tsuka-ito and with a three-clawed silver dragon menuki wrapping around the handle. The black-lacquered aikuchi koshirae scabbard decorated in silver and gold takazogan on a black-lacquered ground sprinkled with gold hirame, depicting a sinuous dragon amid fire. The silver kozuka with a dragon amid scrolling clouds, signed KIYOAKI (Goto Kiyoaki) with kao, and the gilt kokatana signed KUNITOMO MITSUO kore tsukuru [made by Kunitomo Mitsuo].
The shirasaya with sagayaki inscription by Sato Kanzan (1907-1978), ‘this is made by Kunishige, a swordsmith of Akita, Ushu Province, the length of the blade is 7-sun and 8-bu (23.64 cm), attested and inscribed on an auspicious day in February of Showa 51 (1976), by Kanzan.‘
NAGASA 23.6 cm, LENGTH 37.5 cm (total)
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.
Provenance: From the Albert Maroni Family Collection. Albert Maroni (1852-1923) began collecting in the 1880s and is best known for his collection of Japanese prints, recognized by art historian Richard Lane in his book Images from the Floating World. The collection is also comprised of samurai sword paraphernalia dating to the Edo period, which has been kept in the family for four generations. In 1973, Jacques Maroni, Albert's grandson and an art collector himself, had the family's collection examined and evaluated by a group of experts of the field, including Dr. Walter Compton (1911-1990), Dr. Kanzan Sato (1907-1978), and Morihiro Ogawa, then the Japanese Sword Research Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Accompanied by a Tokubetsu kicho shodogu certificate for the koshirae, issued by Nihon bijutsu token hozon kyokai, dated to the 23 January Showa 51 (1976), with a photograph of the tang. The sword had a Tokubetsu kicho token certificate, dated 26 February 1976 (no. 321290), now missing.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related shinshinto aikuchi, blade by Minamoto Kunishige and mounts by Kakusensai Yoshimune, dated to the 19th century, at Sotheby’s, Japanese Works of Art, Prints & Paintings, London, lot 1067 (sold for GBP 11,400).
By Kunishige, signed Kunishige saku
Japan, 19th century, Edo period (1615-1868)
Exhibited: On loan to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 31 December 1973.
The blade:
The sugata is hira-zukuri with iori mune, the hamon is notare in nioi-deki, the hada is itame and mokume. The boshi is of kaeri-fukai. The nakago with two mekugi-ana, the tip is haagari, the yasurime is kesho-yasuri, the mei reads KUNISHIGE saku [made by Kunishige].
The mounting:
The habaki is of silver with diagonal file marks and dew drops. The fuchi, kashira, koiguchi, sayajiri, and kurigata all of silver with scrolling clouds and a ishimeji ground. The tsuka with rayskin (samegawa) and brown tsuka-ito and with a three-clawed silver dragon menuki wrapping around the handle. The black-lacquered aikuchi koshirae scabbard decorated in silver and gold takazogan on a black-lacquered ground sprinkled with gold hirame, depicting a sinuous dragon amid fire. The silver kozuka with a dragon amid scrolling clouds, signed KIYOAKI (Goto Kiyoaki) with kao, and the gilt kokatana signed KUNITOMO MITSUO kore tsukuru [made by Kunitomo Mitsuo].
The shirasaya with sagayaki inscription by Sato Kanzan (1907-1978), ‘this is made by Kunishige, a swordsmith of Akita, Ushu Province, the length of the blade is 7-sun and 8-bu (23.64 cm), attested and inscribed on an auspicious day in February of Showa 51 (1976), by Kanzan.‘
NAGASA 23.6 cm, LENGTH 37.5 cm (total)
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear.
Provenance: From the Albert Maroni Family Collection. Albert Maroni (1852-1923) began collecting in the 1880s and is best known for his collection of Japanese prints, recognized by art historian Richard Lane in his book Images from the Floating World. The collection is also comprised of samurai sword paraphernalia dating to the Edo period, which has been kept in the family for four generations. In 1973, Jacques Maroni, Albert's grandson and an art collector himself, had the family's collection examined and evaluated by a group of experts of the field, including Dr. Walter Compton (1911-1990), Dr. Kanzan Sato (1907-1978), and Morihiro Ogawa, then the Japanese Sword Research Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Accompanied by a Tokubetsu kicho shodogu certificate for the koshirae, issued by Nihon bijutsu token hozon kyokai, dated to the 23 January Showa 51 (1976), with a photograph of the tang. The sword had a Tokubetsu kicho token certificate, dated 26 February 1976 (no. 321290), now missing.
Auction comparison:
Compare a related shinshinto aikuchi, blade by Minamoto Kunishige and mounts by Kakusensai Yoshimune, dated to the 19th century, at Sotheby’s, Japanese Works of Art, Prints & Paintings, London, lot 1067 (sold for GBP 11,400).
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