Edo Period Wakizashi by Yokoyama Sukenaga with Samurai Mounts
Late Edo Ansei period Wakizashi attributed to Yokoyama Sukenaga in suguha hamon in full polish. Bizen Yokoyama Sukenaga being the top ranked maker of the Bizen Yokoyama school during the Shinshinto period, highly sought after as representative examples of the Bizen Yokoyama tradition. The mounts are formal Samurai style, with minimum decoration & a glossy black lacquered saya. The kashira is polished horn & the fuchi is a shakudo Goto school flower on fine nanako. Edo period iron tsuba, unsigned, with katakiri-bori figure of a rain dragon on the obverse with auspicious clouds on the reverse, & a gold highlighted edge. Edo period unsigned shakudo nanako kozuka with three Gods of good fortune reading a scroll. Condition excellent to good, the blade is flawless & in full polish, the workmanship shows control & consistency in both forging & tempering. The nioi guchi is just as bright in the return of the boshi as it is in the ha. Hawley rates as 60, with Nthk papers. Dimensions of tsuba 2.72 in. x 2.68 in. Total length 27.95 in.
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- Attributed - A cataloguing term where the item in the opinion of the cataloguers, is a of the period of the artist, craftsman or designer, and which probably in whole or part is the work of that person.
- Edo Period, Japan - The Edo period in Japan lasted from 1603 to 1868. During this time, Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate, a military government led by the Tokugawa family. The Edo period is characterized by a period of relative peace, stability, and economic growth, as well as by the development of a distinctive culture and society.
During the Edo period, the capital of Japan was moved from Kyoto to Edo (modern-day Tokyo), and the country became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. The shogunate implemented strict policies to maintain control, including the restriction of foreign trade and travel. However, despite this isolation, the Edo period saw significant cultural and artistic development, including the emergence of the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition, the growth of Kabuki theater, and the flourishing of a vibrant merchant culture.
The Edo period ended with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which saw the collapse of the shogunate and the restoration of imperial rule. - Shakudo - Japanese shakudo is a traditional alloy that has been used in Japan for centuries. It is primarily composed of copper and gold, with the copper serving as the base metal and the gold adding a yellowish hue to the alloy. Shakudo is known for its beautiful dark blue-black or black colour, which is achieved through the addition of a small amount of a patina-inducing element like silver or arsenic.
The word "shakudo" itself can be translated as "red copper" in Japanese, referring to the reddish-brown color of the pure copper base metal before it is patinated. The gold content in shakudo is usually around 4-10%, but this can vary depending on the specific purpose or desired appearance.
Shakudo has been traditionally used in various forms of decorative arts and crafts in Japan. It is particularly associated with metalwork, including sword fittings (such as tsuba, menuki, and kashira), jewelry, and small ornamental objects. The alloy's dark color provides a striking contrast to other metals like silver or gold, making it ideal for intricate inlay work or as a background for other decorative elements. - Obverse - Obverse means the front face of a coin or medal, and the reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a monarch or famous person.
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