A Shin-shinto gassaku katana with handachi koshirae | Signed Efu ni oite Chounsai Tsunetoshi and Chounsai Koretoshi | Edo period, dated Bunkyu gannen (1861)

The Property of an English Collector

A Shin-shinto gassaku katana with handachi koshirae 

Signed Efu ni oiteChounsai Tsunetoshi and Chounsai Koretoshi

Edo period, dated Bunkyu gannen (1861)

Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, shallow tori-zori almost mu-zori, bohi, okissaki

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Narrow suguha possibly in ko-nie

Boshi [tip]: Ko-maru with very short kaeri

Nakago [tang]: Machi-okuri, kuri-jiri, with two mekugi-ana, the katana-mei signed 

Efu ni oite Chounsai Tsunetoshi (Chounsai Tsunetoshi in Efu Province), the tachi-mei signed Chounsai Koretoshi, and dated Bunkyu gannen (1861)

Koshirae [mount]: The handachi koshirae with cha-ishime lacquer saya, iron kodogu with bamboo, the tsuka with black ito, menuki made of arrow heads, iron mokko-gata tsuba

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 75.8 cm., 29⅞ in. 

Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 1.7 cm., ⅝ in. 

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