Katana in the Fitzwilliam Museum

[Wolfmanreid]

This sword is in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge England. Sadly the museum staff knew nothing about it and claimed it was a low quality mass produced piece. I rather doubt that as it looks to be in fairly high quality koshirae with a well executed bohi and complex hamon.  Perhaps I am showing my ignorance and I would welcome any comments.  
 

 

[Wolfmanreid]

[Wolfmanreid]

[Wolfmanreid]

[Wolfmanreid]

[Wolfmanreid]

[ROKUJURO]

Reid,

thank you for sharing!

It is a common knowledge that many museums do not have knowledgeable employees when it comes to Japan and its culture.

I think your impression is correct that this could be a nice sword with an older blade and high-end KODOGU. Talk to the museum staff or take an expert (preferably from the NMB) there to advise them.

[Brian]

That sword needs to be investigated further. Looks to be a high class traditional sword, and is 100% NOT a mass produced low quality piece. Put some pressure on them to have it evaluated.

[Gakusee]

Reid

 

How many Japanese swords are there in this museum? Perhaps we can go and visit them as To-Ken Society of GB and talk to them and evaluate the collection. We are, for example, having a members' meeting at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford in mid-October to view some of the Church collection of tsuba and swords that the Ashmolean holds.

 

On to this sword, it looks like an interesting Bizen blade in high-quality mounts and merits a closer inspection.

[Rivkin]

Its Bizen Ichimonji style. Kissaki proportions at the very least are not Kamakura, as is shape. There are "crab claws". There a big of fumbari here, but can be distortion from wide angle lens. I think, either Ishido from around 1640 or late Muromachi ...mitsu or Naotane in his Muromachi Bizen style. Boshi would be extremely useful to be more precise.

I suspect Ishido, but I always say that. Got burned too many times on those Ichimonjis.

[Gakusee]

Kirill

 

I do not think it is Ichimonji. The shape is later, the hamon is Oei+ (so from Oei onwards) with its slanting and crab claws. 

 

If we had better polish and detailed close-ups, views of the shinogi-ji and boshi and very importantly - hada, we might be able to say with greater certainty. 

[Wolfmanreid]

3 hours ago, Gakusee said:

Reid

 

How many Japanese swords are there in this museum? Perhaps we can go and visit them as To-Ken Society of GB and talk to them and evaluate the collection. We are, for example, having a members' meeting at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford in mid-October to view some of the Church collection of tsuba and swords that the Ashmolean holds.

 

On to this sword, it looks like an interesting Bizen blade in high-quality mounts and merits a closer inspection.

This is the only one at the Fitzwilliam although they have quite a nice collection of European and South Asian arms and armor otherwise.  They do have a lovely kabuto in the shape of an abalone. 
 

Apparently this sword was in the family of the donor since the mid 19th century and the inheritor (a fellow Cambridge alum) donated it to the Fitzwilliam. 

[BIG]

Quick research..https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/search/results?query=Japanese+swords+and+koshirae&operator=AND&sort=desc

 

Bishu Osafune (No) Ju Sukesada

 

Awataguchi Omi (No) Kami Tadatsuna

 

BEST

[Jussi Ekholm]

I would think it is this one by Sukemitsu: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/163213

 

The description of the koshirae matches and as Michael and Kirill said above it seems to be Muromachi Bizen.

[Bugyotsuji]

At a Netsuké meeting some years ago, a good lady at the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge showed me in passing several drawers of tsuba. “We do not know anything about them,” she explained.

I expect they would be happy to get some feedback, if and when an expedition can be organized.

(If they haven’t already…)