Moroba Bizen Osafune Sukesada tanto with koshirae

[Ray Singer]

This is an excellent and healthy tanto from one of the Sukesada from the Osafune school in Bizen, working during the Tensho period. In this case, the blade is specifically dated to Tensho 4 (1576, the eighth month). The Sue-Bizen smiths were known to produce high quality works in moroba-zukuri, and his is a fine example. The jihada is a tight itame and the hamon is suguha with ashi. Here are a few options among the Tensho jidai Sukesada.

 

SUKESADA (祐定), 3rd gen. Hikobei, Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Hikobei no Jō Sukesada Ashū Miyoshi-gun ni oite kore o saku” (備前国住長船彦兵衛尉祐定於阿州三好郡作之, “made by Hikobei no Jō Sukesada from Bizen Osafune in the Miyoshi district of Awa province”), “Ashū Miyoshi-gun Ikeda-jū Ōnishi Hikobei no Jō Sukesada” (阿州三好郡池田住大西彦兵衛尉祐定), third son of Genbei Sukesada (源兵衛祐定), he was adopted by the childless 2nd gen. Hikobei Sukesada (彦兵衛祐定) as successor, he worked for Nakamura Ukon (中村右近) who was a retainer of the Hachisuka family (蜂須賀) which ruled Awa´s Tokushima fief (徳島藩)

 

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune Yosōzaemon no Jō Sukesada” (備前国長船与三左衛門尉祐定), third son of the 1st gen. Yosōzaemon Sukesada, it is said that he signed first with Sukemitsu (祐光)

 

SUKESADA (祐定), 2nd gen. Jirōshirō, Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Jirōshirō Sukesada kore o saku” (備前国住長船二郎四郎祐定作之), first name Jirōshirō (二郎四郎)

 

SUKESADA (祐定), 2nd gen. Shichirōemon, Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune-jū Nakagawa Shichirōemon no Jō Sukesada saku” (備前国長船住中川七郎衛門尉祐定作), “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Shichirōemon no Jō Sukesada” (備前国住長船七郎衛門尉祐定), first name Shichirōemon (七郎衛門), family name Nakagawa (中川), jō-saku

 

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Sukesada” (備前国住長船 祐定), “Bizen no Kuni Osafune-jū Ube Sukesada kore o saku” (備前国長船住宇部祐定作之), first name Ube (宇部)

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune-jū Nakagawa Shichirōzaemon no Jō Sukesada saku” (備前国長船住中川七郎左衛門尉祐定作), “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Shichirōzaemon Sukesada” (備前国住長船七郎左衛門祐定), first name Shichirōzaemon (七郎左衛門), son of Yosōzaemon Sukesada, maybe the same smith as the 2nd gen. Shichirōemon

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Sukesada” (備前国住長船祐定), “Bishū Osafune Sukesada” (備州長船祐定), “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Saemon no Jō Sukesada saku” (備前国住長船左衛門尉祐定), first name Saemon (左衛門)

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Sukesada” (備前国住長船祐定), “Bishū Osafune Sukesada” (備州長船祐定), “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Shichirō´emon no Jō Sukesada” (備前国住長船七郎右衛門尉祐定), first name Shichirō´emon (七郎右衛門), son of the 2nd gen. Genbei Sukesada, he worked for Kobayakawa Hideaki (小早川秀秋, 1582-1602), the daimyō of Bizen´s Okayama fief (岡山藩), wazamono

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune Takagi Shichibei no Jō Sukesada” (備前国長船高木七兵衛尉祐定), “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Shichibei no Jō Sukesada” (備前国住長船七兵衛尉 祐定), first name Shichibei (七兵衛), family name Takagi (高木)

SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Mataemon no Jō Sukesada saku” (備前国住長船又衛門尉祐定作), first name Mataemon (又衛門)
SUKESADA (祐定), Tenshō (天正, 1573-1592), Bizen – “Bizen no Kuni Osafune Tōshirō Sukesada” (備前国長船藤四郎祐定), “Bizen no Kuni-jū Sukesada” (備前国住長船祐定), “Bishū Osafune Sukesada” (備州長船 祐定), first name Tōshirō (藤四郎), according to tradition the fourth son of the 2nd gen. Genbei Sukesada, he was later adopted by Shichirō´emon Sukesada and bore the family name Yokoyama (横山), he adopted later also the hereditary name Shichirō´emon (七郎右衛門), ō-wazamono, jō-saku

 

$4,250.00 + shipping & PayPal

 

 

[Ray Singer]

Like the Yoshitake I reduced yesterday, the same owner I consigned for here asked that I reduce by 30% to help with some financial needs. This brings the Sukesada down: $2,975 + shipping & PayPal

 

If anyone has an interest, please email me at raymondsinger@gmail.com to discuss further.

 

Best regards,

Ray