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Antique Japanese Koto Wakizashi with Horimono and Papers

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:10.00 USD
Antique Japanese Koto Wakizashi with Horimono and Papers
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Antique Japanese Koto Wakizashi with Horimono and Papers. Nice stout shinogi-zukuri-shaped wakizashi, with tight mokume hada grain, nioi deki suguha straight hamon with ko-ashi, chu-kissaki with o-maru boshi and short turn back. Ubu nakago with one mekugi-ana is mumei (unsigned). The blade length is 50.8cm or 19.75", with horimono carvings on both sides, one side has small so-hi lines carved in the shinogi with a stylized dragon and flames; the other side has similar so-hi lines carved in the shinogi with a deeply carved panel below that features Fudo-Myoo a buddhist deity of fire and anger. Gold foil over copper two-piece high quality habaki. The blade is housed in a wooden shirasaya resting scabbard with saya-gaki writing on the front. The blade has NTHK papers dated Heisei 27 (2015) that give an attribution to "Etchu Yoshinori". The papers are a bit hard to translate, but possibly the attribution is to "Sanjo Yoshinori", as that is what is written on the shirasaya sayagaki. There were several smiths working in Yamashiro and Echizen during Koto times that signed that way in the 1300's to late 1400's. Condition is Excellent, the quality of the metal forging is really way above average, and shows great skill. The blade is in a very nice state of polish showing clear hada grain and hamon. There is some wear to the horimono, a little wear on the stylized dragon and on the otherside, the face of Fudo and the flames above his head. There is some old dried oil residue in a couple of spots in the double grooves, and inside the deep carved panel of Fudo. The nakago has a dark brown/black patina and shows some pitting over most of the surface. The habaki is very nice. The lower part of the shirasaya has split (these are only held together by rice glue, so they can be taken apart and cleaned) and will need to be re-glued. It is held together with wrapped bands of paper at the moment, otherwise, the shirasaya is very nice. The sword comes with a brocade storage bag and cord. Est.: $2,500-$4,000.