Gaigin's Japanese Art Swords

 Bizen Tachi

This is a nice early Koto blade with all the features from the Bizen School of smiths working in the mid Nambokucho period circa 1375. 

The sword is in very good older polish.  There are no problems with this sword.   There is one slight open lamination visible, high in the shinogi ji, just below the mune and just above the machi, that is to be expected in a blade of this age, otherwise there are no flaws, hagiri, ware, etc.   The sword is an old o-suriage tachi shortened and mounted as a katana. The cutting edge is 69.3cm (27 ¼ in) the tang is 13.6 cm ( 5 3/8 in) with a sori of 1.5 cm (  5/8 in).  

Hada is a bright and very tight and fine masame hada with areas of itame mixed in, there is very fine and bright ji nie and strands of chikei and utsuri is visible.  Shape is shinogi zukuri with a very deep Koshi sori at the mune machi.  Hamon is a very fine and bright gunome midare that turns into a chogi midare in places in a nioi decki with ashi, sunagashi and kinsuji.  The hamon is very well done and shows the skill of the smith.  The mune is Iroi mune.  The chu kisaki is tempered with a very fine ichimonji kaeri.  The blade has hori of a flying crane and a large standing crane that was added probably when the sword was shortened, perhaps in the later Muromachi period.  The carving is nicely done and is a very unusual theme and design seldom seen.

  The sword is mounted in a shairasaya and is accompanied by very fine quality koshira.  The saya is done in black irushi lacquer, in excellent condition.  The tsuka has excellent iron fuchi kashira carved in a key fret pattern.  The menuki appear to be silver cranes, the tsuba is a large iron plate with a silver crane flying over the moon.  The tsuba has a very fine dark brown black patina with no damage or rust.  The koshira is mounted with a wooden tsunagi.

Price $ 9,500.00