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Documented "Especially Precious" Ranked Daisho Set
LOT 1302
of their work are currently in the inventory of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, as well as other prominent historical and artistic institutions. The furniture on both blades is a solid pairing, with elaborately sculpted silver fittings, lacquered cord wrapping over rayskin on the grips, and speckled black sayas, each featuring an elaborate copper
Outstanding “Sakanazukushi” Themed Pair
of Japanese Swords, NBTHK Documented as
an “Especially Precious” Ranked Daisho Set - Included with this attractive two-blade set are two NBTHK “origami” certificates, one for the wakizashi
in the pair, and the other for the pair as a group.
Both were prepared in 1980 with both the “green paper” certificate and a typewritten translated/ summary, and rank the items as “especially precious” per the system in use until 1982. The wakizashi paper identifies it as an authentic but unsigned blade, with no comment as to possible origin or production date.
The paper for the pair calls it out as paired “sakanazukushi” (sea life) themed set, and identifies multiple components as the work of Omori Teruhide. A craftsman by that name is known to have been active in the Edo period (1730-1798), and examples
sculpted/inlaid shrimp at the tip. The katana-length sword measures 36 1/4 inches overall, with the 26 1/4 inch blade showing a fine wavy hamon and set into a serrated copper habaki. The tsuba, fuchi and kashira are all crafted from excellent sculpted silver, the tsuba and kashira showing golden fish motifs, shakudo infill on the tsuba, and the fuchi showing an elaborate three-dimensional octopus that extends beyond
the conventional lines of the fuchi and onto the grip itself. Asymmetrical menuki are installed, with a fine shakudo squid with golden bead eyes on the right and a copper octopus on the left. The octopus motif of the fuchi continues on the saya, with a sculpted copper octopus wraps around the body, its extended tentacle acting as the kurikata. The shrimp measures 8 1/2 inches, its tail wrapping around and enclosing the tip. The wakizashi is 22 1/2 inches overall, with a 15 3/4 inch blade with a fine temper line, set into a sculpted silver habaki.
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