A Hizen katana | Signed Hizen no kuni Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kanehiro (Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kanehiro from Hizen Province) | Edo period, 17th century

The Property from an English Collection Formed from the 1960s Onwards

A Hizen katana 

Signed Hizen no kuni Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kanehiro (Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kanehiro from Hizen Province)

Edo period, 17^th century 

Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, tori-zori, chu-kissaki Hada [forging pattern]: Masame-hada

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Broad gunome-midare hamon with ashi

Boshi [tip]: Ko-midare boshi with kaeri

Nakago [tang]: Ubu, with two mekugi-ana, signed to the tachi-mei Hizen no kuni Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kanehiro (Yamato no Daijo Fujiwara Kanehiro from Hizen Province)

Habaki [collar]: Copper-gilt

Koshirae [mount]: The black lacquer koshirae over-lacquered in red nashiji with snowflakes revealing the black lacquer beneath, the Hizen handachi-style fittings of shibuichi carved, chased and inlaid in silver and gilt with magnolia and peony on the fuchi-kashira, the round iron tsuba inlaid in gold, silver and shakudo with karashishi among tree peony, 97 cm., 38⅛ in.

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 69.7 cm., 27 ½ in.

Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 1.8 cm., ¾ in.

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.1 cm., 1¼ in.

Sori [maximum curvature along the mune]: 1.4 cm., ⅝ in.