A katana | Signed Hizen no kuni ju Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro (Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro, a resident of Hizen Province) | Edo period, 17th century

A katana

Signed Hizen no kuni ju Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro (Omi Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro, a resident of Hizen Province)

Edo period, 17^th century

Sugata [configuration]: shinogi-zukuri, iori­-mune, tori-zori, chu-kissaki

Kitae [forging pattern]: pronounced jigane in ko-nuka hada mixed with some itame-hada in places

Hamon [tempering pattern]: bright irregular midare hamon, ashi and yo

Boshi [tip]: rounded boshi with slight turnback

Nakago [tang]: ubu, kengyo, two mekugi-ana (one filled in)

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Koshirae [mount]: the handachi style koshirae with black lacquer ishime ground saya, decorated in black hiramaki-e with stylised kasa mon [hat-shaped crest], shakudo nanako and gilt fittings, the shakudo menuki in the form of three-clawed dragons, the iron mokko-gata tachi tsuba with silvered rim

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 70.6 cm., 27¾ in.

Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2 cm., ¾ in.

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.1 cm., ¼ in.

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of Preservation], no. 145047 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 11 (1999).