Three Swords for the Shogun

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

For its sale of October 22 in New York, Bonhams has assembled into one lot three samurai arms. Their common characteristics is to be attributed to Kanabo Masatsugu. Kanabo was the name of the production school, and Masatsugu the name of the smith.

As a few days ago in the Asia group for the netsuke of Masanao, the same name has been used by several artists. If the attribution of these pieces to the Muromachi period is correct, the author would be the first of the Masatsugu, whose work began in 1558.

The three arms are different. The term "sword" that I used in the title is an approximation. The most interesting is a nagamaki. It is so large, 1.45 m including the mount, that an assistant was needed for getting it out of its scabbard.

Traditionally, this arm, and perhaps the other two of the lot, would have belonged to Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is significant of the prestige attributed to this set because the first shogun (generalissimo) of the Tokugawa dynasty (1603) is the political genius who was able to establish his power by ending the incessant wars of local feudal lords. His work preceded by several years the ministry of Cardinal de Richelieu in France.

The lot is estimated 200 K$. It is described but not illustrated in the press release issued by Bonhams.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Unsold. It might have been better to sell the three swords separately. The price was too high for a composite lot.