Interesting Chōgi tantō

[eternal_newbie]

Aoi Art currently has this Chōgi (Osafune Nagayoshi) tantō up for auction: https://sword-auction.com/ja/product/31815/as26214-tanto：-bishu-osafune-ju-nagayosi-cho-gi-jowa-6-nen-shogatu-hi-new-year-1350nbthk-tokubetsu-hozon-paperkurashiki-sword-museum-estimation-paper/

 

Just from a glance, it's easy to see why Chōgi is considered the least Bizen-like Bizen smith; this tantō looks almost like a work by a later mainline Soshu smith such as Hiromitsu. It is signed 備州長船住長義 貞和六年正月日 (Bishū Osafune ju Nagayoshi, Jōwa roku-nen shōgatsu-hi). There's some important context behind this particular blade and mei which is somewhat glossed over in the English listing – I've provided a basic translation here as I think this may be a useful reference point for someone someday.

 

"Until recently, the oldest known sword by Bizen Osafune Nagayoshi was a meitō called the 'Osaka Nagayoshi' and dated Shōhei 15 (1360). That tantō was believed to have been bestowed at Osaka Castle upon Maeda Toshiie, a daimyō who was a retainer and old confidant of [Toyotomi] Hideyoshi. It was then subsequently passed down through the Maeda clan as a family heirloom.

 

However, the tantō [listed here] was recently surfaced, and the mei—dating it to January of Jōwa 6 (1350)—predates that of the Osaka Nagayoshi by 10 years. It had long been considered to be gimei and held in reserve, but after re-evaluating it in light of Tanobe-sensei's judgement, the Japanese Sword Museum [and by extension, the NBTHK] finally authenticated it.

 

With the Osaka Nagayoshi previously established as his earliest dated work, having a blade dated earlier [than 1360] authenticated as a work of this smith was no small feat. Henceforth, the listed tantō may now officially be recognized as the oldest extant work of Nagayoshi.

 

* Reference: TANOBE Michihiro, The Japanese Sword – A Journey Through the Five Traditions of Japanese Sword Making: The Bizen Tradition, p. 182 (The Golden Age of Osafune Swordsmiths)"

 

[Lewis B]

Starting bid only 5.5 mil jpy. I’m guessing this will go higher. 
 

would hitatsura tempering preclude utsuri? I don’t see this feature  mentioned in the aoi description. 

Edited Wednesday at 08:43 PM by Lewis B

[eternal_newbie]

4 hours ago, Lewis B said:

would hitatsura tempering preclude utsuri? I don’t see this feature  mentioned in the aoi description. 

 

It's possible to have both, e.g. https://www.aoijapan.com/appraisal-quiz-695/ but depending on how strong the hitatsura is, the polisher may have chosen to highlight the hamon and nie activity at the expense of any utsuri.

[Bugyotsuji]

The Japanese description itself has several contradictions re ranking, dates and grammar etc., needing elementary editing if they want to be taken seriously.

 

Removing my grammar Nazi hat for a moment, what an interesting blade! 

[eternal_newbie]

6 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

The Japanese description itself has several contradictions re ranking, dates etc., needing editing if they want to be taken seriously.

 

Agreed, for this reason I cross-referenced the signature dates with the actual era dates and intentionally avoided translating anything not directly related to the historical significance of the blade. If there are any errors in what I wrote, I would welcome any corrections or suggestions.

[Mushin]

What makes this fascinating little blade so important is its date. It appears at least a full decade earlier than what has traditionally been considered Chōgi's established working period, making it a significant piece for students of Sōden-Bizen and the development of the Chōgi school.

Unfortunately, the blade is showing its age. Condition issues including ware in the ha likely explain why it has remained at the Tokubetsu Hozon level despite its rarity and research value. Could it make Jūyō someday? Anything is possible, but I would not consider it likely.

That said, it is probably the most reasonably priced zaimei Chōgi to appear on the market in quite some time.

The blade was previously offered by Aoi Art roughly four years ago, though I do not know the asking price at the time. @Jussi Ekholm may have that information recorded. I am also curious why the current owner is parting with it after such a relatively short period, something some collectors may understandably view as a cautionary sign.

The hitatsura is another point of interest. It is an outlier within Chōgi's body of work, recalling the work of Hiromitsu and, further back, the full-temper explorations seen in some works of Yukimitsu. Yet despite the treatment, Chōgi's hand still comes through clearly. The blade retains the dynamic,Sōshū-influenced Bizen character that makes his work so distinctive.

Signed and dated Nanbokuchō-period works by Chōgi and his immediate circle rarely appear on the market. Even mumei examples are encountered infrequently. By comparison, the blade pictured below was offered by Aoi Art last year and received 2025 Tokubetsu Hozon papers to Kenchō—not Den Kenchō, but Kenchō himself, generally regarded as Chōgi's foremost student. Tanobe-sensei, however, attributed the blade to Chōgi in his sayagaki. Both opinions are entirely reasonable. The condition of that blade is exceptional.

The zaimei example being offered here, however, provides something the Kenchō attribution debate cannot: a firmly signed and dated reference point from the formative years of the school. For collectors of top Nanbokucho Soshu works, that carries considerable importance.

The asking price is not unreasonable for what is being offered, and I would not be surprised to see it rise before the auction closes, much as the zaimei Kanemitsu did last week.

If I had an extra $40,000 available in these uncertain times, I would be very tempted. For collectors of Sōshū-influenced work, Sōden-Bizen, Nanbokuchō tantō, or blades exhibiting strong Masamune-style jihada, this is certainly worthy of serious consideration.

As for me, I will remain content with my little mumei example.

 

[eternal_newbie]

16 minutes ago, Mushin said:

By comparison, the blade pictured below was offered by Aoi Art last year and received 2025 Tokubetsu Hozon papers to Kenchō—not Den Kenchō, but Kenchō himself, generally regarded as Chōgi's foremost student. Tanobe-sensei, however, attributed the blade to Chōgi in his sayagaki. Both opinions are entirely reasonable. The condition of that blade is exceptional.

 

Thank you for your insights; it's great to hear from someone with more experience of Sōden-Bizen than myself. That mumei blade is also a beauty – very much kenzen, as the Juyo panel likes to say in its writeups. A serious collector would be proud to own either, but as you say: they each offer different things to the connoisseur. As for me, when it comes to Sōden-Bizen my favourite smith remains (Enbun) Kanemitsu and the dream is to own a daitō by him someday, even if the prestige of the smith and my relatively modest means dictate that it's likely to remain just that – a dream.