A Hizen wakizashi | Signed Hizen no kuni Saga ju Hirosada (Hirosada, a resident of Saga in Hizen Province) | Edo period, 17th century

Property from an Important Private Collection

A Hizen wakizashi

Signed Hizen no kuni Saga ju Hirosada (Hirosada, a resident of Saga in Hizen Province)

Edo period, 17^th century 

Sugata [configuration]: Shinogi-zukuri, tori-zori

Kitae [forging pattern]: Ko-itame hada with jinie, Hizen jigane

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Broad gunome-midare in niedeki, with ha

Boshi [tip]: Maru-boshi

Nakago [tang]: Kurijiri, one mekugi-ana, signed Hizen kuni Saga ju Hirosada (Hirosada, a resident of Saga in Hizen Province)

Habaki [collar]: Copper, single clad 

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Koshirae [mount]: Of later date, polished black lacquer saya [scabbard], associated on a nanako ground, the fuchi [hilt-band] with mandarin ducks among water, rockwork and river foliage, the menuki in the form of a mandarin duck, the kozuka with three karashishi, the blade signed Yukinaga, the round sentoku tsuba inlaid in copper-gilt and brass with a bird amongst bamboo and towering mountains  

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 54 cm., 21¼ in. 

Sori [curvature]: 1.3 cm., ½ in.

Saki-haba [width at the yokote]: 2 cm., ⅞ in.

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3 cm., 1¼ in.

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of Preservation], no. 1007098 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 29 (2017).