A fine tanto | Edo - Meiji period, 19th century

Property from an American Collection

A fine tanto

Edo - Meiji period, late 19^th century 

Sugata [configuration]: Hirazukuri, iori-mune, mu-zoriKitae [forging pattern]: Tight itame-hada

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Suguha, nioi

Boshi [tip]: O-maru boshi

Horimono [carvings]: Carved and engraved to the omote with a pair of small birds in flight beside a tall bamboo stalk, the leaves inlaid in gold the ura deeply carved with further bamboo 

Nakago [tang]: Two mekugi-ana, one filled in with lead, signed ...ta...michi saku

Habaki [collar]: Copper-gilt 

Koshirae [mount]: The black lacquer saya [scabbard] decorated in iroe togidashi-e and very fine nashiji with pigeons in moonlight, the silver mounts decorated in low and high relief with pine trees and branches, inlaid in gold with pine needles and silver and gold pigeons, the slide for the kozuka lined in gold brocade, the menuki in the form of pigeons, the kozuka signed Goshu ...tsugu Mizuichi, 44 cm., 17¼ in., long 

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 30.2 cm., 11⅞ in. 

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 2.4 cm., 1 in.