O'Tanto/Wakizashi Circa 1640 In Extremely Rare And Attractive Izu Fittings

A Good Shinto Japanese Samurai Sword O'Tanto/Wakizashi Circa 1640 In Extremely Rare And Attractive Izu Fittings Entirely Ensuite.

14 inch hira tsukuri blade with fine suguha midare hamon and mokume hada. This fine blade is in full polish with no kizu. Ubu mumei nakago with two mekugi ana. Fine dark copper habaki, Splendid mounts all ensuite comprising a very fine gilt fuchi carved in relief with a crane in flight, the kashira with a gilded tortoise well rendered.

Fine gilded dragon menuki (not mirror image). The same of high quality and the tsuka makie of black lacquered string (19th century). Good rectangular pierced Shoami tsuba with good patina. Seppa are castellated copper. Kozuka with gold dwellings amid waves. Kurikata of a namazu in gilt, copper, and copper. Fitting affixed below the kozuka in relief depicting a helmeted samurai atop a diminutive oni with gilt highlights. The kojiri in the form of a minogame in the round with gilt highlights.

All fittings are in good condition and the saya in red ishime lacquer is excellent except for one small nick near the decorative long dragon between the namazu and the minogame. Altogether one of the rarest and most strikingly mounted Japanese swords we have had in years and if you are an enthusiast of Japanese folklore this o’tanto/wakizashi is a book in itself.