Long Katana かたな Raden 螺鈿 High Grade Koshirae 拵え Kozuka and Kogatana with Shirasaya

Long Katana

High Grade Raden Koshirae and Shirasaya

Raden is a Mother of Pearl intrincate traditional Japanese work

 
Katana blade:

Traditional Japanese Tamahagane (玉鋼) forge work

Measures:

Cutting edge: 72,2 cm.
Nagasa 71,3 cm.
Sori: 1,6 cm.
Moto-haba: 3,1 cm.
Saki-haba: 2,1 cm.
Moto-gasane: 0,8 cm.
Saki-gasane: 0,45 cm.

Nakago hole: Two

Hamon: Midare (shinogi white line very well delimited and appropriately degraded  with tones that denotes a quality tempering)

Hada: Masame (also Muji pattern between some lines)

Nakago Mei: Mumei 無名

Edge: Perfect razor type

Polished: Indeterminate age but appears very quite recent

Blade Condition:

The blade does not have any notable defects, it shows very slight signs of age, very well polished defects, so they are now inappreciable. Only can see a few almost imperceptible three black dots and two very fine lines of about three/four millimeters on one of the sides close to the edge, they can only be seen well in the macro enlarged picture. The edge is perfect.
The Nakago has surely been retouched perhaps to adapt to some new Koshirae and to adjust it, its seems to have been slightly filed down, that is quite normal since the Koshirae were traditionally changed with some frequency. Watch the pictures and please feel free to ask me any questions if you want of course

Kozuka and Kogatana

Kozuka:

A small traditional Japanese goldsmith master artwork:
Antique Japanese Kozuka 小柄 Sakura 桜 Trees from Edo period 江戸時代 Katana 刀 Koshirae
Kozuka covered with fine sterling Silver sheet high reliefs and Gold around the edges and rear side
"Cherry (Sakura 桜) Trees"
Kozuka (小柄):The kozuka is a decorative handle fitting for the kogatana; a small utility knife fit into a pocket on the saya.

Kozuka condition: High relief in silver depicting three cherry trees is 97% perfectly preserved. It can see in the detailed pictures

Kogatana:

As the Katana Blade this Kogatana is a traditional Japanese Tamahagane (玉鋼) forge work

Mei: Signed but I do not can read.

Estimated Age: Edo period 江戸時代, Edo jidai also called Tokugawa period 徳川時代

Koshirae:

Very High Grade very fine handwork of a Koshiraeshi (Koshirae master craftsman).

Tsuka:
Wood: Honoki
Fuchi/Kashira: Intrincated quality Silver work depicting a dragonfly (Tonbo トンボ).
Same: Genuine ray skin.
Ito: Fine Natural Silk Green/Grey-Blue
Menuki couple: Silver work depicted Buddhist sword

Tsuba: Forged iron quality open work from the Edo period “Buddhist Bell”.

 
Saya:
Wood: Honoki
Saya work: Raden (Mother of Pearl Urushi lacquered)
Koiguchi: Buffalo Horn
Kurikata: Rare Kurikata of Deer horn with embossed Silver Shitodome couple.
Kojiri: Also of Deer horn
Sageo: Green Silk

Symbolism of this very high quality Koshirae:
Dragonfly: Victory symbolism and of Samurai high-ranking:
Dragon-fly shaped was made in Japan in the 17th century. Embellishments such as this were used by high-ranking lords so they could be easily located on the battlefield. In Japan the dragonfly is known as the "victory insect", or kachimushi.
Kozuka: The cherry blossom (Sakura) is a representation of the Samurai life was proverbially compared to the short-lived cherry blossoms that last “no more than three days”, for a samurai was always ready to sacrifice the life for his lord
The Swords of the Menuki couple and main of course the rare Tsuba adds a strong Buddhist symbolism to this Koshirae.

Japanese documentation:

Sealed Prefectural (Kyoiku-inkai) Registration Card In order to legally own a original sword in Japan it has to be registered in accordance with the Ju-to-ho 銃刀法.

The Board of Education prefecture issued a registration paper for this sword. In order to obtain this paper, the sword needs to be traditionally hand forged and verification. With this paper, its owner can legally own an authentic Japanese sword in Japan.

Kyoiku-inkai - Japanese official documentation (paper previously called Daimyo) is the document card that testifies to the sword ownership is the current sword registration system started in Japan in modern era. Such swords, which were registered in a few years after the system started, are known among collectors as "Daimyo" (feudal lord) registration swords as it was Daimyo or other Daimyo-like wealthy families who owned many precious swords and were asked by the Japanese government to register their swords in the early stage of the newly introduced registration system to familiarize it to the society but it is not the official name of course what is Kyoiku-inkai (Prefectural Registration Card)

Ref.: Katana 122

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Kodogu: Tsuba Fuchi/Kashira Menuki Kozuka Kogai / Japanese sword fittings

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