A Horikawa school wakizashi | Signed Shinano no Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni (Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni of Shinano Province) | Edo period, 17th century

Property from an Important Private Collection

A Horikawa school wakizashi

Signed Shinano no Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni (Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni of Shinano Province)

Edo period, 17th century 

Sugata [configuration]: Hira-zukuri, shallow tori zori

Kitae [forging pattern]: Itame hada

Hamon [tempering pattern]: Gunome-midare in nie-deki

Boshi [tip]: Maru-boshi with kaeri

Nakago [tang]: One mekugi-ana, signed Shinano no Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni (Daijo Fujiwara Tadakuni of Shinano Province)

Habaki [collar]: Copper-gilt, chased and engraved with yotsume mon [quadruple eye crest]

In shirasaya [plain wood scabbard]

Koshirae [mount]: Of later date, the saya [scabbard] of polished black lacquer, nanako shakudo fuchi kashira [hilt-band and pommel] with raised gilt and shakudo aubergine, shakudo gilt menuki in the form of chickens, mokko-gata tsuba of copper alloy with shakudo rim and decorated in low relief with sea spray and a hare crossing waves, copper alloy kozuka with raised gilt crayfish

Nagasa [length from kissaki to machi]: 51.7 cm., 20⅜ in. 

Moto-haba [width at the machi]: 3.2 cm., 1¼ in. 

Accompanied by a certificate of registration as Tokubetsu Hozon Token [Sword Especially Worthy of Preservation], no. 140775 issued by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai [Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword], dated Heisei 7 (1995).