July 12-14, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/13/2022
Measures 23 - 7/16" from tip of kissaki to munemachi. Koshi sori. Features of blade not visible due to polish, hamon looks like it might be a gentle notare; hada looks like it might be mokume. Brass habaki. O-o-suriage nakago with seven mekugi-ana, tachi mei with a date that appears to read 8th month of Shocho, which would be August 1428. Katana mei with first characters for Bizen Osafune, but no smith name observed; remnants of the first character of the smiths name is present and appears to be Kiyo (Kiyoyoshi?). No visible yasurime. Mounts are traditional World War II army mounts, with classic floral-and-roe pattern koijiri, semegane, single hanger with double strap, koiguchi, fuchi, and kabuto-gane. Kabuto-gane with a family crest and an additional silver piece that looks like it might be a rough interpretation of a kabuto. Traditionally woven tsuka with chrysanthemum menuki, rayskin same. Sarute with a blue-brown sword knot for company grade officers. Saya has been customized with leather strips, probably for the user to grab more securely. CONDITION: Blade is out of polish and has some spots of mossing and surface scratches throughout, including a few spots of shintetsu. Mounts are excellent, with some rubbing to high edges but solid. Saya with a few minor scrapes to paint but retains the vast majority. Tsuka-ito is tight. An intriguing example. PROVENANCE: Roger Bender Collection. EMW