A JAPANESE AIKUCHI 'FUDŌ MYŌ-Ō' DAGGER, TANTŌ BY GASSAN SADAKAZU (1834 – 1918)

Shinshintō / Gendaitō, Meiji 18th, 1885

The hira-zukuri blade with chu suguha and straight hamon, with a horimono of Fudō Myō-ō standing on a rock among flames to the obverse and invocation in Sanskrit to the reverse, inscribed to one side of the hilt Teishitsugi Geiin Gessan Sadakazu Zō (made by imperial artist Gassan Sadakazu) and dated to the other side Meiji 18th, encased in a black lacquer fitting decorated with a gilt mon in takamaki-e, with a silk brocade bag

nagasa 16cm, with hilt 24cm long, total 26cm long

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Gassan Sadakazu was one of the most famous swordsmiths of the Meiji period. Born in Ômi province and adopted at the tender age seven by an Ôsaka-based swordsmith Gassan Sadakichi, he underwent years of rigorous training and is said to have produced his first blade by age 14. The Gassan family has a long sword making tradition going back to Heian period, but Sadakazu's was also inspired by the styles of the Sôshû and Bizen schools.
1876 brought profound social changes. Haitô-rei, The Sword Abolishment Edict came to life and the samurai class was essentially ceased to exist. Many swordsmiths stopped producing swords, but Sadakazu continued to work mainly copying famous historical blades. In 1906 he was officially appointed an Imperial Court Artist. Small tantôs like the present lot were offered as gifts to prominent political and cultural figures of the time.

Fudō Myō-ō, one of the five Buddhist Kings of Mystical Knowldege. His name means ‘Unshakable’, ‘Unmovable’ (in His faith) and to illustrate that he is often depicted standing on a rock. His sword, kurikara, represents wisdom cutting through ignorance, the rope is a tool for subduing demons. With such powerful means at His disposal Fudō Myō-ō became a patron of warriors and is often incised on ceremonial blades. Maru ni Katabami, the family crest appearing on the scabbard in form of an encircled creeping woodsorrel flower was used by clans including the Naruse, the Hirose, the Adachi, the Itabe Okano, the Chimura, the Irie, the Tōdo, and the Morikawa.