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Antique Japanese Wakizashi in Mounts, Signed

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:375.00 USD
Antique Japanese Wakizashi in Mounts, Signed
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Antique Japanese Wakizashi in Mounts, Signed. Nice shinogi-zukuri-shaped wakizashi, mokume hada, a flamboyant nioi-deki, irregular gunome hamon, chu-kissaki with o-maru boshi and short turn back. Nakago is slightly machi-okuri, with one mekugi-ana. Signed "Mushashi daijo ..Iyekuni", and on reverse it roughly translates to "genuine folded 15 times". Not much is known about this smith, he is possibly from Etchu province, but the time period he worked is not clear. From the nice dark brown rust patina on the nakago, it would appear to be late Shinto or early Shin-Shinto time period. Blade measures 45.7cm or 18" in length. Nice two-piece silver foil over copper and textured copper habaki. Mounted in traditional mounts with a dark brown lacquered saya having a leaf-shaped silver kojiri at the bottom tip. The koiguchi is black horn, there is a pocket for a kozuka, but none is present. The kurikata and the metal band at the base of the kozuka pocket are shakudo covered in gold and silver, with designs of bamboo leaves and small flowers. On the front side is a silver bonji character imbedded in the brown lacquer. The saya lacquer maybe a more recent refinish but looks like traditional materials were used. The tsuba is iron with carved designs of waves, and a carp with small gold eyes is jumping up near a water fall. The tsuba unsigned and measures 66mm wide x 69mm tall. There is a kozuka hitsuana next to the nakago ana. The reverse features a waterfall. One seppa is original, done in dark shakudo, but the other is an old replacement. The tsuba does not fit tight to the nakago. The tsuka is covered in large nodule same' ray skin that shows age, and an old repair to the ray skin, on the back side, wrapped with very dark brown or old black silk ito cord that is in good shape. The menuki are fruits and branches done in shakudo with some light gold highlights, and they show wear from use. The fuchi and kashira (unsigned) are shakudo with designs of fruit, branches, and leaves. The background has a carved brushed appearance and nice dark black patina. The fruits are done in light brown copper and the leaves have tiny gold highlights. Condition of the blade is very good, in a nice state of older polish, showing a muted hada, clear hamon, and boshi, with some loose hada in the mono-uchi area, and faint temper in the same area on one side only. There are a few light scratches from going in and out of the saya. Est.: $600-$900.