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Early to Mid Edo Wakizashi Koshirae
Price: $1200.00

Older original Koshirae have become increasingly difficult to find. Over the centuries, swords are remounted many times either be necessity of wear or by preference of style. Also, as various fittings become more valuable, they are removed for sale, individual collection, or remounted with other parts and swords. There are numerous examples of high quality koshirae that can be seen, particularly on tantos, but in general even they are from the later Edo and Meiji eras. Anything earlier is increasingly rarer. Even in Japan, there are relatively few examples of koshirae from periods earlier than early Edo. For these reasons it is difficult to see very old koshirae still intact.

This koshirae is exemplary of an intact working man’s mid-Edo koshirae. One will find it interesting in that the fuchi and kashira are not a set, yet are original to the handle foundation which was very well constructed in a Higo style with double strand ito tsukamaki that has been lacquered to protect it from the elements. The menuki are very old and likely from the Momoyama period showing good wear to the surfaces and were mounted when the tsukamaki was done. The iron tsuba is simple with six sides, a raised rim, and amida (rays) pattern carved on the surface. It has wonderful color and sheen and nice condition. The kozuka is quite unusual and interesting as well. It is made of bamboo with fine lacquering of a spider on a web. Non-metal kozuka were unconventional, but are found. I have no doubts this one has been with the koshirae for a very long time because there is a shaded ouline of patina difference fuchi showing the end profile of the kogatana. There is a bamboo kogatana tsunagi in the kozuka retaining it in the saya. The lacquer on the saya is a fine ishime pattern with nice patina and soft luster. The color is not the deep jet black found on modern or later lacquers, but a soft deep brown of old lacquer. The match to the lacquer on the tsukamaki very obviously dates them together.

In all, what is shown is an intact example of the best koshirae a man of simple means could afford, yet mounted tastefully and with attention to function and lasting endurance. Certainly it is one to keep together and preserve for future generations to study and appreciate in its own right as a rare specimen.

Price: $1200.00