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Antique Japanese Mounted Tanto with Horimono

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:350.00 USD
Antique Japanese Mounted Tanto with Horimono
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Antique Japanese Mounted Tanto with Horimono. Nice small Aikuchi mounted, shobu-zukuri-shaped tanto with itame hada grain, a narrow nioi deki suguha hamon, ko-maru almost ichi-mai boshi, ubu nakago with one mekugi-ana, two-character signature, and dragon and kanji horimono carvings. Blade dates from the late Shinto to Shin-Shinto time period. The signature is a bit hard to make out as it is lightly carved and the nakago has a dark rust patina. Blade measures 20cm or 7.825". The habaki is silver foil over copper with cat scratched file marks. The koshirae is Aikuchi style, not using a tsuba. The tsuka is covered in same' ray skin and wrapped with a fancy woven string ito. The fuchi and kashira are black horn that has been lacquered black. The menuki are dark shakudo catfish with gold whiskers and eyes, and a gold colored gourd. The saya is covered in smooth black lacquer with black horn kojiri, koiguchi, and kurikata. There are gold-colored shitodome eyelets in kurikata and a white woven sageo cord attach thru the kurikata. At the bottom of the saya there is a pierce hole in the shape of a boar's eye with silver eyelets lining the hole. There is a pocket for a kozuka on the back side of the saya, but no kozuka is present. Overall length of the koshirae is 36cm. Condition is excellent, the blade in a nice state of polish, showing some wear to the horimono carvings, a couple of light rust spots, visible hada grain, and light hamon. The nakago has nice dark brown patina. The habaki has wear, scratches, and dings to the body. The mounts are in good condition, the tsuka having nice lacquer to the horn fittings, clean ito wrapping and same', and very nice menuki. The saya shows a few small chips in the lacquer at the top, some chips, cracks, and bubbles in the lacquer on the lower reverse and side, and a small crack on one side of the kurikata. Overall, an attractive small tanto. Est.: $700-$1,200.