Tanto with Rare Attribution

[Vermithrax16]

Saw this one this week at E-sword Japan and spent some time studying. Attributed to the Asago-Taima school (Echizen Nobunaga), which I don't ever remember seeing. Maybe some of the more experienced people have seen a few. Duel sayagaki, one by Kunzan (1976) and another by Tanobe (2016) both agreeing to the NBTHK Hozon paper (2017).

 

Nice nie work and a pleasant blade. Well worth a look if only for the rarity of the school:

http://www.e-sword.jp/tantou/1910-3032.htm

 

 

 

[Rivkin]

Have to honestly admit I don't know from the hip about Asago-Taima school.

Other than that to me later period Fujishima looks like typical Muromachi period Soshu (choji with sunagashi style, practiced almost everywhere at the time), maybe with a little bit more pronounced Norishige-imitation-like hada, and more coarse nie which extends further into ji.

 

I would not be surprised that sayagaki were requested in hope that the attribution will be a somewhat higher name in Soshu.

 

 

Kirill R.

[Jean]

Itt is a very late offshot of the Taima school:

 

http://www.sho-shin.com/yam5.htm

 

Have a look at the bottom page.

 

The blade is probably O suriage considering the bottom mekugi ana (thus the price).

 

Other schools have some of their smiths who migrated: Nakajima Rai, Echizen Tametsugu.

 

Not frequent attribution but not outstanding branch (reflected in the price).

 

Remember the general rule : the tradition is kept pure till the third generation.

 

Nevertheless it is a rarety

[Alex A]

E-sword always have nice items, but I struggle with the photography, lacks detail in the hamon compared to other dealers. Sometimes cant work out whether overly done hadori or the photography.

 

This is when buying from overseas gets difficult.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think like Kirill with regards to sayagaki, that previous owner might have hoped for more favourable attribution.

 

So far I have documented 5 signed swords for Echizen Nobunaga. Unfortunately I have skipped over the mumei Asago-Taima swords.

[Jean]

Have you ever seen Tanobe sensei overthrowing a sayagaki by Honma Junji?

[Alex A]

Nice koshirae too, but if buying i would be asking myself if it was made for this tanto.