Original 15th-16th Century Japanese Wakizashi Signed BISHU OSAFUNE SUKESADA in Resting Scabbard Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Wakizashi (脇差 “side inserted / companion sword”) is a general term for a sword between one and two shaku long (30 cm and 60 cm). Generally it is the short blade that accompanies a katana in the traditional samurai daisho pairing of swords, but may be worn by classes other than the samurai as a single blade, also worn edge up as the katana.

As best we can tell, this example dates from the Muromachi period (室町時代 Muromachi jidai) of 1336 to 1573, most likely the latter portion. This is part of the period of Japanese swordmaking known as Kotō (古刀”old swords”), the the type of swords that later smiths treated as the goal they needed to achieve.

The tang of the blade is signed by the maker (mei) with 備 州 長 船 祐 定 – BISHU OSAFUNE SUKESADA, which basically means that the smith named Sukesada of the Osafune School made this sword in Bishu, or Bizen Province. This is a province with a long history of legendary schools of Japanese swordsmithing. Those who forged swords in the Bizen province, today known as Okayama prefecture, at the end of the Muromachi Period (1492-1569 A.D) are called Matsu Bizen.

Sukesada school was one of the most famous schools and it flourished for generations among Osafune schools (The main branch). There were various styles forged by the generations of Sukesada during this period. There were about 60 swordsmiths who used Sukesada as his maker’s name in the Samurai history. This particular form of the signature was used by 12 smiths, all during the 16th century except for one in the 15th and one in the 14th.

This example has most likely been remounted several times, as was common for Japanese blades. This has made the file marks and signature on the tang somewhat faint, however we are confident in our reading of the MEI.

The blade has the following period correct features:
– Folded steel blade (fold lines are evident on the spine and body of the blade)
– holes in the tang are punched and not drilled
– blade is signed on the tang by the maker
– blade has a temper line (hamon), which is easily visible.
– Blade wounds (kizu) or lamination artifacts are present on the blade, only possible on traditionally made examples. These are mostly WARE (lamination lines).

The blade of this example is 20 1/8 inches long, and the polish on the blade is quite good, still showing almost all of the important features of the blade. The edge is still quite sharp, and there is just a small nick on the edge, along with few spots of light oxidation. Overall length of this wakizashi is 28 1/2 inches.

The hamon (temper line) is still visible, and is of the CHOJI (Clove-Tree Flower) MIDARE (Irregular), with a lot of activity. Nie Crystals are visible, and there is Nioi cloudiness visible with lamination lines. There are also some ASHI, which are lines of Nioi in the Hamon running to the edge. The tang (nakago) is of the futsu 普通 (regular) style, with a Haagari (asymmetrical rounded) nakago-jiri. The body of the blade shows MASAME (straight) HADA (grain), and the boshi (tip temper line) is of the KOMARU (small turnback) type. The Yokote (division between the tip and blade body) is clear.

This sword is mounted in a “resting scabbard” or Shirasaya, which is intended for storing the blade when it is not in use. There is some staining on the exterior, but no major damage. There is a bit of splitting of the glue joint at the top of the scabbard, and the hilt (tsuka) looks to have been expertly reglued together at some point. The handle is quite tight on the tang, and may require a rubber mallet to remove.

A fantastic late Muromachi period wakizashi by a famous lineage of makers, ready to display!

Specifications:
Blade Length: 20 1/8″
Overall length: 28 1/2“
Scabbard Length: 22 1/2″

It has been over one thousand years ago that the art of making swords appeared in Japan. The swordsmiths of the time may not have known it but they were creating a legendary sword. The Samurai sword has seen combat in many battlefields. From the early days of the Samurai warrior to the fierce battles in the South Pacific during WWII.

Each hand-made Japanese blade (日本刀 – Nihonto) is unique because it is forged from multiple pieces of folded steel stock. A tremendous amount of work is dedicated to creating these pieces. They were an instrument of war as much as a beautiful artifact to adorn a room.

The traditional Japanese blade and mountings have grown to be one of the most highly desired military antiques.