Kazari-tachi

An important ceremonial sword from the Aoyama daimyō

Late Edo period, 19th century

The blade signed Morishige (Osafune Morishige, Muromachi period, circa 1400)

NBTHK Jūyō Tōsogu

NBTHK Hozon Tōken

Koshirae length: 81.2 cm; blade length: 47.3 cm

Provenance:

Auction of the estate of Viscount Aoyama, Tokyo, 15-18 January 1935, lot 186

Sayagaki: The inscription on the shirasaya by Tanobe sensei reads: 

“Bizen [no] Kuni Osafune Morishige. Signed with two characters. With an excellent tachi koshirae from the Tamba Sasayama Aoyama clan. Blade length: 1 Shaku, 5 Sun 5 Bu.  Written in 2011 by Tanzan [Tanobe] Michihiro [+kao]”.

The kazari-tachi was one of the earliest styles of Japanese sword. This style of tachi was used in the early Koto period, Nara and Heian eras, and served as a symbol of rank and status, only worn by members of the imperial family and court aristocrats. The kazari-tachi mountings of the Heian period remained almost unchanged for centuries. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa government implemented strict regulations regarding the length and wearing of swords, aimed at controlling the appearance and use of swords among the samurai class. It was strictly defined which sword had to be worn with which dress. The kazari-tachi was the most formal sword, worn with the shōzoku dress, and was reserved for daimyō with a rank that allowed them to participate in ceremonies and festivities at the imperial court.

This kazari-tachi is of the highest quality. All the metal parts are gilded and chiseled with incredible precision. The main kamon of the Aoyama family (Aoyama-zeni) is found throughout, and on the scabbard is alternated with the secondary kamon, which includes the imperial chrysanthemum (Aoyama-kiku). 

The Aoyama clan developed during the Sengoku period. Originally from Kōzuke province, it settled in Mikawa province in the service of the Matsudaira clan. During the Edo period, they became a daimyō family, with residence at Sasayama Castle, where they ruled from 1748 until the castle was demolished in 1871.

The koshirae comes with a Jūyō Tōsogu (Important Sword Fitting) certificate issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai in 2017 (session nr. 63)