A MINO KATANA

A MINO KATANA

SIGNED SEKI ZENJOKA CHIKANORI SAKU AND DATED ANSEI ROKUNEN NIGATSU HI (1859); KOSHIRAE EDO PERIOD (19TH CENTURY)

Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, shallow tori-zori, o-kissaki and wide mihaba

Kitae [forging pattern]: tight itame hada

Hamon [tempering pattern]: ko-gunome with gunome ashi becoming suguha in places

Boshi [tip]: kaen-boshi

Nakago [tang]: ubu, kurijiri, yokojiri, single mekugi ana

Habaki [collar]: gilt on copper

Koshirae [mounting]: a nashiji [sprinkled gold lacquered] ito-no-maki tachi koshirae with aoi [wild-ginger] mon [family crests] in hiramaki-e, the fittings all of shakudo [copper-gold alloy] ground with gilt aoi mon and menuki with kiri [paulownia] mon, the shakudo mokko tsuba with aoi mon in gilt, ashi and saya mounts also with aoi mon in shakudo and gilt

83.7 cm. (blade)

104 cm. long (koshirae)

Machi-haba and saki-haba (blade width at two separate points): 3 cm. (machi) and 2.1 cm. (saki)