Ozaki Gengoemon Suketaka

Description

Katana by Ozaki Gengoemon Suketaka, a Settsu smith of the shinshintō period. According to the original seller, Suketaka (1753–1805) was a pupil of Kuroda Takanobu, received the title Nagato no Kami in 1798 and ranked among the great tōran-ba specialists of his day. The blade, in shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and chū-kissaki, has a nagasa of 72.8 cm and a sori of 1.5 cm. The hada is a tight ko-itame with abundant ji-nie and chikei; the hamon is a gunome-midare in tōran style with ko-gunome and kataochi-gunome, a bright nioiguchi, ashi, nie-suji and tobiyaki; the bōshi is notare with a broad turn-back. The nakago is ubu, with one mekugi-ana, ō-sujikai yasurime with keshō and an iriyamagata tip; it bears the signature "Ozaki Gengoemon Suketaka" and the date of the 2nd month of Kansei 6 (1794), both legible in the photographs. Silver double habaki; the seller describes an older polish and a very healthy blade, and the photographs do not contradict this. It comes with a complete uchigatana-koshirae (102.5 cm) that the seller places in the late Edo period: matte red-and-black ishime lacquered saya, shibuichi and shakudō fittings, same-covered tsuka with dark brown wrap, iron fuchi-kashira with a dragon, copper menuki and a Shingen-style iron tsuba with brass wire wrap. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, photographed.