Project Info
Project Description
Awataguchi from Yamashiro Province [This blade has an] ubu-nakago and is mumei. It is of a slender but gorgeous tachi-sugata that features a ko-kissaki and a deep koshizori that bends down towards the tip. The hada is exquisite and the blade is hardened in a ko-chōji, ko-gunome, and ko-midare-chō whose midare elements are densely arranged and tend to be connected, plus plenty of small tobiyaki and yubashiri that appear in sections and in an interrupted manner above of the yakigashira. The ha shows plenty of sparkling ko-nie and thus we recognize on this very tasteful masterwork all the aesthetics points that are to be expected from an early Awataguchi work. With these parameters, the blade is most likely a work of Kuniyasu. Blade length ~ 73.9 cm Written by Tanzan [Tanobe Michihiro] in August of the year of the rat of this era (2020) + monogram
KUNIYASU (国安), 1st gen., Shōji (正治, 1199-1201), Yamashiro – “Kuniyasu” (国安), first name Tōsaburō (藤三郎), Awataguchi school, according to tradition der third son of Awataguchi Kuniie (粟田口国家), only tachi are extant by him, these are elgant and slender and similar to works of Awataguchi Kunitomo (国友) and Kunihisa (国久), but we also know blades with a wide mihaba and an ikubi-kissaki which date to his later active period, the jigane is more dense as at Hisakuni but can also appear as standing-out ō-hada with nagare, at the latter interpretations also chikei appear, the hamon is a suguha mixed with ko-midare and/or and ko-chōji in ko-nie-deki, the nioiguchi is mostly somewhat hazy, he signed the character for “yasu” in a peculiar manner where the crossing strokes of the lower radical (女) appear as large curves, he was goban-kaji for the fourth month, saijō-saku ◎
城刕粟田又 生茎無銘也。細身・小鋒デ腰反高ク先俯キ氣味ノ華奢ナ太刀姿ヲ呈シ精妙ナル肌合ニ小丁子・ 小互乃目・子乱調刃文ヲ焼キ乱ノ間近ク連心アリ焼頭ニ頻リニ小模様ノ飛焼ヤ湯走ガ點續シテカゝリ輝ク小 沸厚ク付キ初期粟田又物ノ美點ヲ明示スル味ワイ深キ優品。而一類中取分国安ニ擬セラレル者有之 刃長弐 尺四寸四分 時在庚子桂月探山識「花押」
