An Ancient & Most Beautiful Samurai Tanto Circa 1390 Chōsokabe Clan, Signed Motochika. Around 630 Years Old

With finest quality original Edo koshirae of pure gold decorated fuchigashira, of cooking a fish using two branches over a smoking frame on the fuchi and a curled rat on the kashira, all on a very fine nanako hand punched ground.The kozuka has an engraved silver handle and copper and short metal blade. a beautiful black urushi lacquer to the saya with a kojiri bottom mounts in silvered copper, and a very finely made copper tsuba. The blade has a fine suguha hamon with a good turn back at the tip, a single wide hi and a two piece silver and copper habaki with a pierced clan mon, and in old Edo polish. Although the blade was made in around 1390 it has been likely used by the clan for many centuries. Overall this tanto is absolutely stunning. The Chōsokabe clan (長 宗 我 部 氏Chōsokabe-shi ) , Also known as Chōsokame (長 曾 我 部 、 長 宗 我 部 ) , Was a Japanese clan from the island of Shikoku . Over time, they were known to serve the Hosokawa clan , then the Miyoshi clan, and then the Ichijō clan , 1 although they were later liberated and came to dominate the entire island, before being defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . The clan claimed to be descendants of Qin Shi Huang (d. 210 BC), the first emperor of a unified China .

The clan is associated with the province of Tosa in present-day Kōchi prefecture on the island of Shikoku . Chōsokabe Motochika , who unified Shikoku, was the first twenty daimyo (or head) of the clan.

In the beginning of the Sengoku period , Chōsokabe Kunichika's father , Kanetsugu , was assassinated by the Motoyama clan in 1508. Therefore, Kunichika was raised by the aristocrat Ichijō Husaie of the Ichijō clan in Tosa province. Later, towards the end of his life, Kunichika avenged the Motoyama clan and destroyed with the help of Ichijō in 1560. Kunichika have children, including his heir and future daimyo of Chosokabe, Motochika, who continue unifying Shikoku.

First, the Ichijō family was overthrown by Motochika in 1574. Later, he gained control of the rest of Tosa due to his victory at the Battle of Watarigawa in 1575. Then he also destroyed the Kono clan and the Soga clan . Over the next decade, he extended his power to all of Shikoku in 1583. However, in 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ( Oda Nobunaga's successor ) invaded the island with a force of 100,000 men, led by Ukita Hideie , Kobayakawa Takakage , Kikkawa Motonaga , Toyotomi Hidenaga and Toyotomi Hidetsugu . Motochika surrendered and lost the Awa provinces, Sanuki and Iyo ; Hideyoshi allowed him to retain Tosa. The smiths name Motochika was linked to the clan itself. The last picture In the gallery is of samurai Chōsokabe Morichika, ruler of Tosa province. His clan mon, that appears on the hibaki, can be seen on the collar of his garb, As ruler of Tosa Province, in 1614 he went to join the defenders of Osaka Castle against the Tokugawa, he arriving there the same day as Sanada Yukimura. His Chōsokabe contingent fought very well in both the Winter and Summer at Osaka Campaigns. After the fall of Osaka, Morichika attempted to flee but was apprehended at Hachiman-yama by Hachisuka men, He and his sons were beheaded on May 11, 1615, following the defeat of the Toyotomi and Chōsokabe forces at the Battle of Tennōji. We acquired this tanto with a pair of abumi of the same clan, sold seperately. Overall 12.75 inches long and an 8 " long blade

Code: 23468