Koto Mino Katana in Gunto Koshirae

As can be occasionally found, this is a Koto period blade mounted for use by an Imperial Army Officer. The mounts are in overall fair condition. The wrap is intact on the tsuka. The leather cover for the saya has shrunk as most do with time, revealing the wooden say under it. The tsuba is plain undecorated copper. The sarute (swiveled tassle loop) on the tsuka is quite interesting as it is made of iron instead of the usual copper or brass. I don't recall ever having seen one in iron before.

The blade is osuriage, mumei, and probably late Koto (16th century) period. It hints at sakizori. The hamon is ogunome midare with togari and some nie. The boshi is midare komi with some hakake. The hada is mokume. There are bohi that terminate half way into the nakago in maru. It may be a Bizen blade, but due to the size, wide spacing, and shape of the gunome, and element of masame in the shinogiji just behind the koshinogi, I'm calling it Mino. Also there does not appear to be any utsuri, which although is not a deal breaker for a Bizen blade, does sway it to Mino with the other features. Works from these two provinces can look similar in this period.

There is significant corrosion pitting in the upper half of the blade in the yakiba and kissaki. A window was put into the middle of the omote, and the omote kissaki, and shows the habuchi becomes weak and sleepy in the mid blade area, but is still visible in the kissaki. In my opinion, it is not a candidate for restoration, instead falling into the catagories of either relic or Militaria. Nice for display in that regard. It is priced accordingly.

On Consignment: 950.00

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