Katana - Bitchu Aoe ChikaTsugu

[bjmoose]

Nagasa: 62.2 cm (2 shaku 尺 5 bu 分 3 rin 厘 – 24.49 inches)

 

Era: Kamakura Perod - from Enkyō (1308 AD) to Kenmu (1334)

Style: shinogi tsukuri

Construction: Well grained Itame Hada with utsuri and Ji-Nie. The hamon is
sugu based gunome/midare sunagashi and Kinsuji

Koshirae: Tsuba: Shakuda plate. Rim is entwined silver rope.
Kojiri and Fujikashira is a silver wave design.
Menuki is a Gold dragon on shakudo plate.

Class: Sai Jo-Saku

Condition: Excellent

Nakago: Machiokuri suriage. Signed two character signature: Chika Tsugu,

Remarks: The sayagaki on the saya reads Daikinsu 100 mai, by a Japanese
appraiser it states appraised at 100 gold pieces.

ChikaTsugu (1275 – 1334) is a representative smith of the Chu Aoe Bitchu
Provence School. It is said that he is the son of Aoe YoshiTsugu. ChikaTsugu seems to
have traveled some as he received training in Bizen well Bingo province before
returning to Bitchu.

ChikaTsugu has signed this work with a two character signature. It displays the
very fine hada of the Yamashiro school. Its nagasa is 62.2 CM (2 shaku 尺 5 bu 分 3
rin 厘– 24.49 inches). The sword displays Bo-Hi on both sides, a longish Kissaki, well
grained Itame hada with Ji nie and utsuri attached. The hamon is Gunome/midare with
Kinsuji and sunagashi. It comes with beautiful fitted mounts.

This sword came from an American Marine who acquired it from a Japanese
Officer post war. The sword was passed on to the Marines’ nephew who sold it to a dealer. The
shirasaya has a sayagaki stating this sword is appraised at 100 gold pieces (Dai kinsu
hyaku Mai - 代金百枚 ). 1 mai (gold piece) = 5.30 troy ounces. At today's (June 10,

2020) gold price of $1733.89 USD per troy ounce that equates to $918,961.70 USD


This beautiful Katana has been appraised by Fred Fimio (President, Japanese
Sword Society of Canada) at a value of $15,000 USD ($20,085 CAD).

My asking price is $16,000 CAD plus shipping & insurance, but that is open to negotiation.
I will accept EFT, Certified Cheque, Bank Draft, or PayPal **.  

**If using PayPal, fees will be added to the total price

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Ian, can you please post higher-resolution shots of the bare blade, with the usual closeups of the nakago, boshi, & intermediate spots?

[bjmoose]

Ken,  please give me a few days and I will try to take some photos and post them.  I am kind of busy right now, but hopefully can do this over the weekend.

Thanks.

[raynor]

Great sword!

[vajo]

Ian is it papered? I asked because you wrote it is appraised by Fred Fimio.

[bjmoose]

Ian is it papered? I asked because you wrote it is appraised by Fred Fimio.

It is not papered. I purchased it from Fred.

[Oshy]

Hi Ian,

 

Any particular reason why you, Fred or past owners have not sent to shinsa yet?

 

Thanks,

[bjmoose]

Hi Ian,

 

Any particular reason why you, Fred or past owners have not sent to shinsa yet?

 

Thanks,

For me, I just couldn't afford it.  I can't speak for the previous owners.

[Oshy]

Ok thanks, just curious as shinsa fees compared to the claimed value of the sword is pretty negligible.

[Jacques D.]

It's not Aoe Chikatsugu 青江親次  but an obscure swordsmith.  

[bjmoose]

It's not Aoe Chikatsugu 青江親次  but an obscure swordsmith.  

My information came from Mr. Fimio, whose judgement I tend to trust, due to his extensive knowledge and experience.

[kolhoznik]

In my few months reading this board the folks here are some of the nicest and most knowledgeable in the subject.

[bjmoose]

Jacques D., on 25 Jun 2020 - 2:46 PM, said:

It's not Aoe Chikatsugu 青江親次  but an obscure swordsmith.  

My information came from Mr. Fimio, whose judgement I tend to trust, due to his extensive knowledge and experience.

 

Jacques,

Please accept my most humble apologies.  I have been made aware of a few things in the past few hours that have considerably changed my opinion.  Among them, I came across this document buried in some files, which I totally forgot I had, in which you can see at the bottom in the Nakago description after "Signed two character signature Chika Tsugu", that Fred has hand written in: "NOT VERIFIED".   Do you happen to know who the swordsmith is that forged this?  

 

[Bryce]

Maybe Naotsugu?

Cheers,

Bryce

[Ken-Hawaii]

Fred was correct in not trying to verify your blade, Ian. That's what shinsa do. But it's always a good experience investigating a blade, to see if what you think it is, is verified by shinsa opinion.

[bjmoose]

Fred was correct in not trying to verify your blade, Ian. That's what shinsa do. But it's always a good experience investigating a blade, to see if what you think it is, is verified by shinsa opinion.

Thanks. Ken.  You are totally right on that.  I just wish I had had the funds available to send it (Ohhh, how I wish,,,,)  

As they say: "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride"

[Bugyotsuji]

近次　Chikatsugu. There were two Bitchu Aoe Chikatsugu with these Kanji, the later one around 延慶 1308~

 

PS There are several small bloopers in the description, such as Daikinsu 100 mai, which should be Daikin 100 mai, I think.  Shakuda for Shakudo, Fujikashira for Fuchikashira, etc.

 

Can we see the sayagaki any better?

[bjmoose]

Thank you Bryce & Bugyotsuji for your contributions.  They are greatly appreciated!  I hope to take some better photos this weekend and post them.  Stay tuned...

[Jacques D.]

 

Jacques D., on 25 Jun 2020 - 2:46 PM, said:

 

Jacques,

Please accept my most humble apologies.  I have been made aware of a few things in the past few hours that have considerably changed my opinion.  Among them, I came across this document buried in some files, which I totally forgot I had, in which you can see at the bottom in the Nakago description after "Signed two character signature Chika Tsugu", that Fred has hand written in: "NOT VERIFIED".   Do you happen to know who the swordsmith is that forged this?  

 

Fimio_Document-01.jpg

 

 

I don't know who is this swordsmith, he's not recorded in the litterature excepted the Index of Japanese swordsmiths by Marcus Sesko and the nihonto meikan. 

 

As he is not recorded in the Fujishiro koto hen he can't be ranked jo saku. Link below leads to Chikatsugu who is recorded as jo saku by Fujishiro 

 

https://www.touken-sato.com/event/katana/2012/08/TC-chikatsugu-01.html 

[Babu]

So where do we stand with this sword then, it's not worth the asking price as its unverified, not Jo Saku and the mei is all wrong?

Thank you

[Surfson]

Yes, but the mounts are nice and it looks like an interesting sword.  I think that we are waiting for some photos.

[Bugyotsuji]

The paperwork above says Jo Saku.

[bjmoose]

Folks,

 

   Got some photos taken today, with more to come.  Sorry it's taking so long, but it took a LOT of attempts, constantly going back & forth from camera to computer to check the shots.  It's a very different kind of photography from what I'm used to, so it's become a learning process for me.  (The photos posted earlier are the ones the I got from Fred Fimio, who sold me the sword.)

 

Here's what I took today:

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully I will have some close-ups tomorrow or the next day.

 

  As a further note, I am letting you know that I also discovered when I got it out to photograph, much to my horror, that there are 3 areas on the saya where splits have developed.  They weren't there the last time I checked it, but that was quite a while ago.  The wood of the saya is quite thin, and I have been storing it in a display case, in which it has remained for the past seven years or so.

 

  

[Bugyotsuji]

備前国　Bizen (Koku/no Kuni)

Chikatsugu　See: http://codh.rois.ac.jp/char-shape/unicode/U+8FD1/

[PNSSHOGUN]

It seems at some point this was mounted in Kyu Gunto fittings, judging from how the Nakago has been altered.

[ChrisW]

I agree with John here, it bears the tell-tale marks of a kyu gunto nakago alteration (which I don't think is necessarily a bad thing!)

[Ian B3HR2UH]

I have always understood that the rules or etiquette of the board were that we didn't comment on pieces that were put up for sale !  Notwithstanding Adam puts in his two bobs worth " its not worth the asking price as its unverified, not Jo saku and the mei is all wrong "  This sword is a good classy item and in a whole different league than the fuchi kashira Adam currently has up for sale , but I won't comment on them .

Ian Brooks

[Brian]

Ian, this situation is different to a usual listing. The information supplied turned out to be incorrect, and therefore the entire status of the item changed. It went from a verified Aoe Chikatsugu to an unverified possibly obscure smith who is unknown.
Therefore fair to ask if the price is still the same or if the listing has changed.
The sword is still beautiful and worth a decent price. But we do not know what the situation with the sale is now.

[Babu]

I have always understood that the rules or etiquette of the board were that we didn't comment on pieces that were put up for sale !  Notwithstanding Adam puts in his two bobs worth " its not worth the asking price as its unverified, not Jo saku and the mei is all wrong "  This sword is a good classy item and in a whole different league than the fuchi kashira Adam currently has up for sale , but I won't comment on them .

Ian Brooks

Thanks Ian,with all due respect

What I actually said was

"So where do we stand with this sword then, it's not worth the asking price as its unverified, not Jo Saku and the mei is all wrong?"

 

There is the question mark you left out of my quote.

[cisco-san]

but blade as well as the mountings are looking nice