Tan-118 Tegai Kanehisa

Rare Signed Koto Yamato Tanto With Mount


Tanto made by Tegai Kanehisa. Kanehisa was a very well known maker from the famous Yamato Tegai School. The Tegai School was most famous from the kamakura period through the Muromachi period as one of the top Yamato den Schools. Even the famous Soshu smith Kaneuji originally worked in the Yamato tradition, and his early roots are known as Yamato Shizu and resemble works of Tegai smiths. This tanto is made by one of the most famous Early Muromachi Tegai smiths. He is rated as Jojosaku, and signed pieces are very very rare. For some reason many Tegai pieces are unsigned, so finding a signed original example is very difficult. The wide thin shape is very much reminiscent of that of the nanbokucho period. This style continued well into the muromachi period with many wide hirazuuri wakizashi made mostly by those of the soshu school. The hamon is a nice gunome midare with some togari ba. Nie deki in structure like many of the true Yamato den, this tanto has much small activity as well. The jigane is a running masame with itame. Utsuri appears in the ji with chikei. The blade is very healthy with a superb shape as it is still ubu retaining its original shape. The tang is original with the crisscross file marks that are a specific trait of the Tegai School. This is as good an example that you can get and the addition of the original mount adds to the appeal.

The mount is very nice and from around the early 1800’s. The scabbard is exceptional nice with a very rare kojiri made up of samegawa that has been polished down then lacquered. This is a very difficult technique and can only be done by a top craftsman. The lacquer is a very nice deep dark brown color with the texture done to resemble tree bark.that has been banded. An iron Higo kaeritsuno also adds to the package. The set of Higo wari bashi are very nice and match the style of the saya well. The kozuka is missing. The tsuka is a very nice black wrapped one that has the same’ lacquered red under the wrap. The fuchi kashira are very nice made up of shibuichi, the fuchi with the strong design of arrow feathers. The menuki are very good , probably from the Goto School. Made up of shakudo with gold and silver accents, this set of menuki when viewed with a loop show excellent detail in the condition as well as the carving.The tsuba is a plate type with a nicely carved design. It is very nice to see an original mount (especially the lacquer work) intact, but even nicer when it houses and blade that is of quality as well. NBTHK Hozon Token for the blade.


Blade 1400-1500’s


Signed – Kanehisa (Tegai) NBTHK Hozon token


Cutting Edge – 29.7cm


kanehisa