Japanese

A Fabulous, Samurai Late Koto To Shinto Period Wakazashi Sword In Very Fine, All Original, Edo Period Handachi Koshirae. With Original Urushi Ishime Lacquer Saya In Chitosemidori, A Thousand Year Green. Samurai War Pony Menuki. With A Remarkable Blade

Overall this sword is is superb condition, all the handachi mountings are original Edo period, as is the saya and its urushi ishime lacquer. The tsuka-ito has a geometric weave pattern, and also original Edo period. The delightful Edo tsuba is iron, with a relief Aoi leaf pattern, and signed. The pair of Edo menuki are pure gold over shakudo of deep takebori samurai war ponies in fully saddled riding tack, without riders..
The kozuka, side knife, has a Higo school iron handle depicting two Minogame turtles, particularly the minogame (straw-raincoat turtle), represent wisdom and are said to live so long that algae grows on their shells, resembling a tail.

Chitosemidori is a traditional Japanese colour that resembles the dark green colour of Japanese pine needles. The name “Chitosemidori” comes from the Japanese pine, symbolizing longevity due to its evergreen nature. This colour is significant because it represents enduring beauty. According to legend, it remains unchanged even after 1,000 years, reflecting the timeless nature of the Japanese pine.

Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.
Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords
Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

Some provinces of Japan were famous for their contribution to this art: the province of Edo (later Tokyo), for example, produced the most beautiful lacquered pieces from the 17th to the 18th centuries. Lords and shoguns privately employed lacquerers to produce ceremonial and decorative objects for their homes and palaces.
The varnish used in Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer tree or the Japanese varnish tree (Rhus vernacifera), which mainly grows in Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asia. Japanese lacquer, 漆 urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The tree must be tapped carefully, as in its raw form the liquid is poisonous to the touch, and even breathing in the fumes can be dangerous. But people in Japan have been working with this material for many millennia, so there has been time to refine the technique!
Flowing from incisions made in the bark, the sap, or raw lacquer is a viscous greyish-white juice. The harvesting of the resin can only be done in very small quantities.
Three to five years after being harvested, the resin is treated to make an extremely resistant, honey-textured lacquer. After filtering, homogenization and dehydration, the sap becomes transparent and can be tinted in black, red, yellow, green or brown.
Once applied on an object, lacquer is dried under very precise conditions: a temperature between 25 and 30°C and a humidity level between 75 and 80%. Its harvesting and highly technical processing make urushi an expensive raw material applied in exceptionally fine successive layers, on objects such as bowls or boxes.After heating and filtering, urushi can be applied directly to a solid, usually wooden, base. Pure urushi dries into a transparent film, while the more familiar black and red colours are created by adding minerals to the material. Each layer is left to dry and polished before the next layer is added. This process can be very time-consuming and labour-intensive, which contributes to the desirability, and high costs, of traditionally made lacquer goods. The skills and techniques of Japanese lacquer have been passed down through the generations for many centuries. For four hundred years, the master artisans of Zohiko’s Kyoto workshop have provided refined lacquer articles for the imperial household.

Han-dachi originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from Tachi to katana. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been. The handachi is a response to the need to be worn in either style. The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.

The Japanese samurai and their famously iconic swords lasted relatively unchanged for 1200 years. A Nara period tachi sword of 700 ad was not that much different from a late Tokugawa period tachi sword of 1860. Compare that to Europe, every style and pattern of sword was used, and dramatic changes meant all forms of sword, and sword combat, changed and evolved from century to century. Yet in Japan the form changed little, the style was excellent from the very earliest period, and all that was required was incremental small improvements and very subtle changes. A samurai armed with a sword from 700 ad, would not appear that much changed 1100 years later. However, the samurai sword had been improved, and improved more, to a standard of quality excellence, after 500 years, that remained unrivalled throughout the world. A sword steel that was the finest steel ever created by mankind, a steel so fine that it bears no useful comparison to every other finest blade steel ever made. Damascus is likely the closest, but still way, way, below Japanese samurai sword steel. If Japanese samurai steel, ranked in first place, was compared to a formula one racing car, Damascus or pattern welded sword steel, ranked in second place, would be the equivalent to a twenty year old New York taxicab by comparison.

Picture 7 in the gallery is of the tsukaito over the war pony menuki. They appear to difference shades of green, but this is an illusion created by the camera photo light. There is no actual difference in colour at all

Overall 27 1/4 inches long in saya, blade 19 3/4 inches long  read more

Code: 26201

A Good Antique Edo Period Round Signed Tetsu Wakazashi Tsuba Embossed Seashells

A delightful iron round tsuba takebori patterned with various shells over a water pattern background, with ana openings for kozuka and kogai. The Tsuba can be solid, semi pierced of fully pierced, with an overall perforated design, but it always a central opening which narrows at its peak for the blade to fit within. It often can have openings for the kozuka and kogai to pass through, and these openings can also often be filled with metal to seal them closed. For the Samurai, it also functioned as an article of distinction, as his sole personal ornament 61 mm  read more

Code: 22455

A Superb, Ancestral, 600 Year Old Signed Blade, Kyu Gunto Mounted Sword For An Officer In Sino Japanese War, The Boxer Rebellion, In China, The Russo-Japanese War & Further Used In WW1 and WW2 Usually By Very Senior Ranking Samurai Family Officer

If one needs an exceptional example, this must be the one, of this very scarce form of very early samurai family Japanese sword {signed Masa kiyo, possibly Mihara school} with Meiji era koshirae mounts.

It has a super blade, with suguha midare hamon, that was first initially used by its first samurai owner before the Sengoku and Onin wars in 15th century Japan, continually right through the next 500 years by dozens of family samurai, until after the Tokugawa shogunate was deposed, and into the last samurai war, of the Meiji emperor, known as the Satsuma Rebellion.
That was the last war and battles of the ancient caste of samurai. And then, this sword was used by a samurai family, in the Meiji period of the 19th century, by a young officer {mounted in finest quality military fittings} permitted to use his ancestral early samurai blade.
Used in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895): Fought primarily over control of Korea, this war demonstrated the effectiveness of Japan's modernization. Japan decisively defeated China, resulting in the Treaty of Shimonoseki, which gave Japan control over Taiwan, the Pescadores Islands, and the Liaodong Peninsula (though Russia later forced them to return the latter).
Japanese Invasion of Taiwan (1895): Following the Sino-Japanese war, Japan officially occupied and colonized Taiwan, facing significant armed resistance from the local population.
The Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) where Japan joined the Eight-Nation Alliance (including Britain, Russia, and the US) to suppress an anti-foreign uprising in China. Japan provided the largest contingent of troops, earning international respect for its military organization.

Then, after a few years in the Russo Japanese War {1904-1905}, and it was further permitted to be used, often by veteran samurai born family officers, in the later WW1 and WW2.

A great and rare form of Japanese sword. However, it also has an ancient 600 year old ancestral, pre Sengoku period blade, so this is a great rarity, amongst rarities. One would be hard pressed to ever find another better example of such beauty, age and condition.

Dating from 1467-1603, the Sengoku or ‘Warring States’ period is known as the bloodiest in Japan’s history; an era of continuous social upheaval and civil war which transformed the country. Shogun-led authority was shattered and 150 years of murder and betrayal followed as fearsome warlords ruled local territories with unflinching ruthlessness.

Bear in mind this swords blade was hand made around the time that Henry Vth was fighting Agincourt in France

Almost all the original gilding is present to the hilt, the ancient blade is in original polish, and the habaki has deluxe cat scratch décor in gold and silver. Wooden saya from WW2, with sayagaki, bearing the signature {kanji} of the blade appraiser, and an elegant elongated hilt tsuka with knucklebow and original wire bound pristine samegawa {giant rayskin}.

The first standard sword of the Japanese military was known as the kyū guntō. The kyū guntō was used from 1875 until 1934, it closely resembled European and American swords of the time, with a wraparound hand guard (also known as a D-Guard) and chrome plated scabbard (saya), the steel scabbard is said to have been introduced around 1900
The Kyu gunto was a sword that began to cross the divide between the traditional Samurai sword, that was banned in the era of the Meiji Emperor, and the modern Western style sabre, but occasionally permitted to be fitted with a family ancestral samurai sword blade. The Kyu gunto style was adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army in the 1870's. By the early 1900's the Japanese officer class began more and more to see themselves as the reincarnated embodiment of the old Samurai warrior class, and the desire for the return to the traditional Bushido warrior code was becoming a powerful force. Modern Western styles had been faithfully adopted and the Imperial Japanese military had joined the rest of the civilised world in all it's advancements and technology in weaponry and uniforms that it had to offer. However, the officer class saw a threat to their long felt superiority over all others as their dress made them all but indistinguishable from soldiers of other inferior nations. A resurgence in the Samurai ethic needed a connection to the modern uniform, so a return to the Samurai sword was achieved in combat, but still with the visible connection to more modern Western dress form.
This sword, that bridged the gap between modern and ancient sword styles, was popular and adopted with great keeness. In fact Japanese military sword styles progressed even further in the subsequent decades, so that by the 1930's the standard officer's sword was a near identical copy of the ancient Samurai Tachi, with very little deference to modern sword patterns. The mounts are very good indeed, and the blade is also superb.

Three photos in the gallery {numbers 7,8,9,} of Admiral Togo with his Kyu-gunto mounted ancestral sword, with the Russo Japanese war service scabbard, and photo number 10 with a WW2 Japanese officer with his Kyu-gunto sword but its WW2 service saya {scabbard} like this one.
Tōgō Heihachirō (東郷 平八郎; 27 January 1848 – 30 May 1934), served as a gensui or admiral of the fleet in the Imperial Japanese Navy and became one of Japan's greatest naval heroes. As Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, he successfully confined the Russian Pacific naval forces to Port Arthur before winning a decisive victory over a relieving fleet at Tsushima in May 1905. Western journalists called Tōgō "the Nelson of the East". He remains deeply revered as a national hero in Japan, with shrines and streets named in his honour.

Overall in saya 34.25 inches long, katana blade 25.25 inches long, hilt 7.5 inches long  read more

Code: 26191

A Museum Grade Wakazashi By Toshizane, With Fine Samurai Sword Pure Gold & Shakudo, Soten School Mounts. Edo, Sōheishi Nyūdō Sōten Sei. Taira Atsumori (1169-1184) Riding On Horseback Through Crashing Waves To Escape Kumegai & The Minamoto Samurai

Superb and beautiful blade, now returned from artisan surface cleaning, and thus re-photographed, is signed by a remarkable master smith, showing a stunning sanbonsugi {three cedar} hamon with yakideshi, The whole sword is representing the great samurai heroic story from the Gempei War, depicting the 15 year old samurai commander in chief of the Taira, Taira Atsumori (1169-1184) riding on horseback through crashing waves to escape Kumegai and the Minamoto warriors.

Effectively several great samurai sword masters were combined to create this wonderful sword of immense quality combined with incomparable beauty, including Sōheishi Nyūdō Sōten Sei, and Hamabe Toshizane. The saya {scabbard} and its urushi lacquer work is also a master-work, but, sadly, there is no way of knowing his name and such workmanship was never signed.

The koshirae are without doubt, in our opinion, first division Soten school fittings, decorated in pure hammered gold embellished solid shakudo mounts. Soten, alongside Goto, are the two great Japanese schools of sword fittings. The signed fittings, by renowned artisan Mogarashi Nyudo Soten, a master craftsman from Hikone in Goshu Province.

The signed tsuba 藻柄子入道 * 宗典製 * 江州 * 彦根住
Sōheishi Nyūdō * Sōten sei * Kōshū * Hikone jū tsuba is similarly truly wonderous, depicting Taira Atsumori fleeing Kumegai crashing through the waves holding his yumi bowstring through his clenched teeth. Remarkably, the bowstring is a chiseled out, micro thin, separate but integral, piece of solid shakudo metal, and the whole design is all decorated in pure hammered gold upon *nanako ji ground. A representation of the tsuba maker's incredible skill, learnt by a master over a lifetime of his craft. All the koshirae exemplifies the artistry and skill of the masterful Soten school at its best.

The fabulous blade, by an Hamabe school master smith is 文化 dated Bunka, 11th year, February 1814. By, Hamabe Gihaichirou Toshizane of Inshu. To illustrate the skill of this master swordsmith, one of his pupils became one of the world's recognised great master swordsmiths under Toshizane's pupilage, and his blades today can fetch between $300,000 to $2,000,000. By comparison, imagine being able to acquire a painting by master artist who was the mentor and master that taught the legendary Van Gogh how to paint, and being able to acquire it for just thousands of pounds, compared to 100 million pounds for his pupils painting.

因　州 Inshuu , 住. Jyuu 濱 Hama 部 Be 義八郎 ,儀八郎 Gihachirou, {Correct character is 儀.}
壽Toshi 實Zane.

He was a master smith of Hamabe school, but remained in Inaba province and took the name Minryushi. He was the teacher of both Kiyomaro and Masao. A Kiyomaro sword {by Toshizane's pupil} sold a few years ago for $2million.

The stunning fittings are Soten school, late, Edo period {1615-1868} By Sōheishi Nyūdō Sōten Sei. It is rare to find Soten work in shakudo or any soft metals, other than fuchigashira, as they typically worked in iron.

The matching kozuka side knife is also by Soten, of pure gold decorated figures in takebori relief carving, of Taira Atsumori, holding his yumi, involved in his full chase, with another samurai Kumegai in full armour, also with his yumi { war bow} over a micro hammered nanako ground. The back of the kozuka is decorated with a layer of pure gold with a scored oblique decoration in a rain pattern.

The deep takebori Soten shakudo and gold tsuba depicts Taira Atsumori (1169-1184) Riding On Horseback Through Crashing Waves To Escape Kumegai & The Minamoto. Kumagai Naozane and Taira no Atsumori. Atsumori was the legendary and heroic 16 year old samurai commander-in-chief, and flute player, who was beheaded after hand to hand combat by Kumegai, and Kumegai wept as he had no choice but to execute such a young, noble and honourable, 16 year old warrior. The same age as his son.

The all matching koshirae mounts {Gempei kassen} are detailing a scene from the Gempei wars

The Genpei Kassen (源平合戦) is the theme of all the fittings. It is also called the Jishou Juei-no Ran (治承・寿永の乱) and stretched over six years from 1180 until 1185. This is the battle between the Minamoto (源) clan (Genji family) and the Taira (平) clan (Heike family). By the call of Mochihito Ou (以仁王), many Samurai raised armies to overthrow the Taira family. It was the trigger of this conflict. Mochihito Ou was unfortunately beaten by the Taira family and passed away in 1180. However, after that, Samurai who fought for Minamoto family side defeated the Taira side armies one after another. Finally, the Minamoto side won the battle and overthrew the Taira clan in 1185 at Dan-no Ura (壇ノ浦). It was the final battle of the Genpei Kassen, which led to the destruction of the Taira clan, who reached the height of glory. In this tsuba there is Taira Atsumori who rides on a horse with his yumi war bow, and another also with his yumi. Each person’s facial expressions are carefully carved, and the liveliness and tension on the battlefield are beautifully expressed in this work.

Its original Edo saya is fabulous, in finest ishime {stone finish} urushi lacquer, with carved buffalo horn fittings. The saya bears four, very small defensive sword edge cuts at the base, which have been left completely untouched as they are honourable combat scars despite bieng very small.

The whole sword is depicting Taira Atsumori (1169-1184) Riding On Horseback Through Crashing Waves To Escape The Minamoto Warriors. We show a woodcut in the gallery of this battle. By Toyokuni Utagawa,

The founder of the
Soten school, Kitagawa Sōteen I (also called Shūten and possibly Sōheishi Niūdō), flourished about 1650 and, like his successors, worked at Hikone, whence the name Hikone-bori for the style they evolved. The signature of his son, Sōten II (Sōheishi Niūdō), is that most frequently found on tsuba sword guards of this school.

The Sōten style may be summed up as the marubori-zōgan with the addition of elaborate landscape details. The figures, whether large or small, are either modeled completely in the round, the ground being more or less cut away and the whole enclosed by a border; or else they are in high relief on a solid ground. The work is nearly always in iron, with the nude portions encrusted in silver or copper, the patterns of the garments and the minute botanical details of the landscape being richly overlaid with gold.

The favourite subjects are taken from Chinese history and legend, or represent Japanese battle-scenes, especially from the Gempei campaigns of the 12th century and the Korean expeditions of the Empress Jingō and the Taikō Hideyoshi.

According to The Tale of the Heike, the Taira were scattered by Yoshitsune's attack from the Ichi-no-Tani cliff. Kumagai no Jirō Naozane, while scanning the beach for fleeing soldiers, spotted the young Atsumori swimming towards the fleeing vessels.

Ukiyo-e of Kumagai Naozane and Taira no Atsumori
Kumagai beckoned Atsumori with his fan, taunting Atsumori by saying, “I see that you are a commander-in-chief. It is dishonorable to show your back to an enemy. Return!”

Atsumori returned and they grappled on the beach. Kumagai was stronger. He knocked off Atsumori's helmet to deliver the finishing blow, only to be struck by the beauty of the young noble. Atsumori was “sixteen or seventeen years old, with a lightly powdered face and blackened teeth—a boy just the age of Naozane's own son...”

Kumagai, wishing to spare the life of the boy, asked for Atsumori's name, but the youth refused. He simply said that he was famous enough that Kumagai's superiors would recognize his head when it was time to assign rewards. At that moment, other Minamoto warriors arrived, and Kumagai knew that if he did not kill Atsumori, the other warriors surely would. Kumagai reasoned that it was better if he was the one to kill Atsumori, because he could offer prayers on his behalf for the afterlife.

Kumagai while crying beheaded the youth, searched the body for something to wrap the head in, he came across a bag containing a flute. He realized that Atsumori must have been one of the soldiers playing music before the battle and thought, “there are tens of thousands of riders in our eastern armies, but I am sure none of them has brought a flute to the battlefield. Those court nobles are refined men!”

It is said that the beheading of Atsumori is what led Kumagai to take priestly vows and become a Buddhist monk.

* Nanako Ji: "fish roe ground" A surface decoration produced by forming very small raised bosses by a sharply struck punch or burin called 'nanako tagane'. Shakudo is the metal most often used, but copper and gold are quite often employed. The harder metals, shibuichi, silver and iron are rarely decorated in this way. The size of the dots vary from 0.04" to 0.008" (25 to 125 and inch) and the regularity of the work is marvelous as the dots must be spaced entirely by touch. The dots are usually arranged in straight lines or in lines parallel to the edge of the piece being decorated, but sometimes in more elaborate patterns. Used on guards since the Momoyama period although the technique existed since much earlier periods. Usually done by specialist 'nanako-shi', but sometimes done by the maker of the guard himself.

Shakudo is a billon of gold and copper (typically 4-10% gold, 96-90% copper) which can be treated to form an indigo/black patina resembling lacquer. Unpatinated shakudo Visually resembles bronze; the dark color is induced by applying and heating rokusho, a special patination formula.

Shakudo Was historically used in Japan to construct or decorate katana fittings such as tsuba, menuki, and kozuka; as well as other small ornaments. When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The lacquer surface of the saya has some age bruising etc. due to its vintage

See photo 9 in the gallery of a similar subject fuchigashira in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Sword-Hilt Collar and Pommel (Fuchigashira)
Japanese ca. 1615–1868 Fuchi inscribed: 藻柄子入道宗典製 Sōheishi Nyūdō Sōten sei (Made by the lay priest Sōheishi Sōten)
Donated by Herman A. E. and Paul C. Jaehne, New York and Coco Beach, Florida (by 1915–43; their gift to MMA).  read more

Code: 25605

A Superb Nobukuni 信国 Signed Mount Fuji Shinto Samurai Katana, Circa 1670, Signed on The Nakago Nobukuni Saku, With Mount Fuji Hamon Fuji-mi Saigyo and The Wave Fuchi Kashira.

This fabulous and unique 360 year old sword, by a high rated master swordsmith. A most substantial and incredibly impressive sword in super condition, with likely the most desirable and rarest form of hamon pattern.

It has a most rare, superb hamon that shows an horizon combined with Mount Fuji hamon, called the Fuji-mi Saigyo, with the incredibly desirable hamon temper line that depicts separate various views of the horizon with the snow topped Mount Fuji. The original Edo period Fuchigashira hilt mounts are carved iron, Higo style engraved with the representation of the crashing wave pattern that traditionally accompanies Mount Fuji, as can be seen the the world famous painting by Hokusai, 'The Wave' with Mount Fuji in the background.

The pierced early Edo iron tsuba is further complimentary with pierced clouds. Fully restored blue silk tsukaito binding, and the whole of the swords mounts have been cleaned and conserved to as good as new, with gilt dragon menuki beneath the silk ito.

In the most ancient swords, all hamon were of the straight-edge variety. Irregular patterns started to emerge around the 1300s, with famous smiths such as Kunimitsu, Muramasa, and Masamune, among many others. By the 1600--1700s, hamons with various shapes in them became very desirable, such as trees, flowers, clovers, pillboxes, and many others. Common themes included juka choji (multiple, overlapping clovers), kikusui (chrysanthemums floating on a stream), Yoshino (cherry blossoms on the Yoshino River), or Tatsuta (maple leaves on the Tatsuta River), and one of the most desirable of all, just as this sword has, was the design Fujimi Saigyo (Priest Saigyo viewing Mount Fuji)

Mount Fuji is a composite volcano, capped with snow, growing larger as layer upon layer of lava and ash built up on its slopes. Like its geologic history, Mount Fuji’s sacred history has also developed over time as different religions, beliefs and myths have added new layers. Since ancient times, the mountains of Japan have been revered as sacred places, giving rise to a tradition of beliefs and rituals that scholars call sangaku shinko, meaning “mountain creed.” When Shinto, the native religion of Japan, emerged sometime before the sixth century A.D., it wove this mountain creed into a wider veneration of nature. According to Shinto belief, natural features such as trees, lakes, streams, rocks and mountains are the dwelling places of spirits called kami, which hold influence over human affairs and respond to human prayer and ritual. Kami are believed to be concentrated in mountain areas, and shrines have been erected to mark sacred spots. The introduction of Buddhism from China in the sixth century further developed the practice of mountain worship as Buddhists, who viewed mountain climbing as a metaphor for the spiritual ascent to enlightenment, adopted Shinto sacred mountains as pilgrimage destinations. In the ninth century, a religious sect called Shugendo arose that based its doctrine and practice on mountain climbing itself, believing that practitioners could commune with deities on mountain summits and thereby obtain supernatural powers.

The name “Fuji” most likely came from an indigenous Ainu word meaning “deity of fire”—not surprising for a volcano that erupted often. In about 800 A.D., a shrine was built near the base of the mountain with the hope of placating the god that caused the volcano’s eruptions. Fuji later became regarded as the dwelling of the Shinto goddess Konohana Sakuya Hime, “the Goddess of the Flowering Trees.” Today, she is still the principal deity of the sacred mountain, revered in Shinto shrines at Fuji’s base and summit, including the one originally built for the older fire god, and honored in a fire ceremony at the end of each year’s climbing season. Buddhists found in Fuji an inspiring symbol of meditation and called its summit zenjo, a Buddhist term describing a perfect meditative state. Buddhists also came to regard Fuji as the abode of the Buddha of All-Illuminating Wisdom. In the 14th century, Shugendo practitioners established the first climbing route to lead pilgrims to Fuji’s summit.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, and the same words that are repeated in his book;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords


A most substantial blade, in nice condition for its age {of around 360 years} 28.25 inches long, from tsuba to tip overall 41 inches long including saya.  read more

Code: 24955

A Beautiful, Edo, Higo School of Armour. A 17th Century Samurai's Tetsu Abumi Stirrup, Clan Mon of Bird & Sakura Equestrian Armour of ‘Mono no Aware’, 物の哀れ, Protective Armour & Weapon To Kick Out At Foot Samurai While Galloping In Battle

This Japanese higo school armour stirrup, with a clan crest (mon) of a bird in a cherry blossom treee (sakura) ‘mono no aware’ 物の哀れ in sinchu , is made in the traditional dove's breast (hato mune) shape with an open platform lined with red lacquer, slightly curved forward so that the foot fits in without sliding backwards. In the front extremity the stirrup has a rectangular buckle with several horizontal slots which also serve as a handle.

Not only a fine example of early original samurai equestrian combat armour, for protecting the foot of a mounted combat samurai in battle, it is also a weapon and a beautiful work of art. It also represents a most inexpensive collector's item of original samurai armour, combined as a weapon of combat and war, and around 400 years old.

The whole surface is in ancient russetted iron in the distinctive Higo school style, with a large onlaid most decorative sinchu clan mon crest mount of a bird with sakura tree, the ‘Mono no Aware’

Cultural context for this samurai crest. In Japan, this image represents the concept of mono no aware (the pathos of things). 物の哀れ —a poignant awareness of the impermanence of life, as both the cherry blossoms and the birds’ activity are intense but fleeting.

It is to be noted as we previously detailed, that these stirrups, due to their weight, were also used as weapons against the enemy infantry samurai and ashigaru. A kick from this by the mounted samurai when riding past a standing samurai at full gallop would smash through even the strongest iron helmet kabuto, resulting in likely instant death. The same effect as hitting any object with a 12 pound steel club hammer at full swing

Abumi, Japanese stirrups, were used in Japan as early as the 5th century, and were a necessary component along with the Japanese saddle (kura) for the use of horses in warfare. Abumi became the type of stirrup used by the samurai class of feudal Japan Early abumi were flat-bottomed rings of metal-covered wood, similar to European stirrups. The earliest known examples were excavated from tombs. Cup-shaped stirrups (tsubo abumi) that enclosed the front half of the rider's foot eventually replaced the earlier design.

During the Nara period, the base of the stirrup which supported the rider's sole was elongated past the toe cup. This half-tongued style of stirrup (hanshita abumi) remained in use until the late Heian period (794 to 1185) when a new stirrup was developed. The fukuro abumi or musashi abumi had a base that extended the full length of the rider's foot and the right and left sides of the toe cup were removed. The open sides were designed to prevent the rider from catching a foot in the stirrup and being dragged.

The military version of this open-sided stirrup, called the shitanaga abumi, was in use by the middle Heian period. It was thinner, had a deeper toe pocket and an even longer and flatter foot shelf. It is not known why the Japanese developed this unique style of stirrup, but this stirrup stayed in use until European style-stirrups were introduced in the late 19th century. The abumi has a distinctive swan-like shape, curved up and backward at the front so as to bring the loop for the leather strap over the instep and achieve a correct balance. Most of the surviving specimens from this period are made entirely of iron, inlaid with designs of silver or other materials, and covered with lacquer. In some cases, there is an iron rod from the loop to the footplate near the heel to prevent the foot from slipping out. The footplates are occasionally perforated to let out water when crossing rivers, and these types are called suiba abumi. There are also abumi with holes in the front forming sockets for a lance or banner. Seieibushi (Elite Samurai)
Traditionally the highest rank among the samurai, these are highly skilled fully-fledged samurai. Most samurai at the level of Seieibushi take on apprentices or Aonisaibushi-samurai as their disciples.

Kodenbushi (Legendary Samurai)
A highly coveted rank, and often seen as the highest attainable position, with the sole exception of the rank of Shogun. These are samurai of tremendous capability, and are regarded as being of Shogun-level. Kodenbushi are hired to accomplish some of the most dangerous international missions. Samurai of Kodenbushi rank are extremely rare, and there are no more than four in any given country.

Daimyo (Lords)
This title translates to 'Big Name' and is given to the heads of the clan.

Shogun (Military Dictator)
The apex of the samurai, the Shogun is the most prestigious rank possible for a samurai. Shoguns are the leaders of their given district, or country, and are regarded as the most powerful samurai.

Picture in the gallery of Samurai Wagakawa Kiyohide riding his black horse into battle wearing his identical black and brass mounted abumi horse armour stirrup.  read more

Code: 23147

Openwork Iron Nanban Tsuba With A Pair of Dragons and Golden Nunome-Zogan Decor. A Most Fine Japanese 17th Century Sword Guard

Japanese sword hilt (tsuba) in cut iron and damascened with gold (nunome-zogan). The metal is finely carved with dragons chasing the sacred pearl in the Nanban style. The pearl is pierced and contains a small mobile ball which today comes out of its housing (see photos). Japanese work from the 17th century Edo period.

Nanban tsuba (Southern Barbarian sword guards) are 16th to 19th-century Japanese sword fittings characterized by foreign, non-traditional designs, primarily featuring intricate iron openwork (sukashi), beaded rims, and Chinese or European motifs. Originating from trade with foreign ships, these often-lavish guards were produced in China or by the Dutch East India Company and adapted for Japanese swords.
"Nanban" means "Southern Barbarian," a term used during the Edo period to describe foreigners—specifically Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch traders—who arrived by sea.
While the name implies Western influence, most designs actually show strong Chinese influence.

They are usually made of iron, featuring complex openwork (carved in relief or pierced), undercutting, and often feature "small balls" trapped in small compartments that can move. Common motifs include dragons chasing flaming pearls, foreign letters (like "VOC" for the Dutch East India Company), and arabesque designs.
Initial pieces were likely imported from China or Southeast Asia through Nagasaki from the late 16th century onwards.
Japanese craftsmen began copying these styles. They often added specific features for Japanese swords, such as the hitsu-ana (holes for the utility knife/hairpin) and modifying the nakago-ana (tang hole).
The Yagami School: Based in Nagasaki, this school specialized in this style during the 18th century, famous for intricate ironwork featuring Chinese-style dragons and, notably, "1000 monkey" designs.
Although foreign-influenced, they were popular among samurai as fashionable, often heavily gilded or inlaid with gold/silver. They were sometimes used to subtly showcase hidden religious preferences (e.g., small crosses) during the prohibition of Christianity

Nanban-style carvers in Yamashiro (modern-day Kyoto) refers to 18th-century Japanese metalworkers, specifically tsuba (sword guard) makers, who adopted foreign design elements—primarily Chinese, but also Portuguese and Dutch influences—into their craft.

These artisans are known for producing Nanban Tsuba (Southern Barbarian sword guards), which often feature intricate, openwork (sukashi) designs, such as dragons, vines, and lion-like figures, usually on an iron ground.
They utilized gold or silver nunome-zōgan (inlay) to highlight designs, frequently carving on a cross-hatched background to create a textured, luxurious, or exotic look.
While Nanban-style items were often associated with Nagasaki, Kyoto-based makers (Yamashiro) were known for producing higher-quality, more sophisticated, and detailed versions, often with better-finished carvings.
Connection to Heianjo School: Some of these designs are categorized alongside Heianjo-style Tsuba, which were established in Yamashiro and known for combining iron with brass inlays.

These carvers operated during the Edo period (1603–1868), with peak production of these refined, domestically made Nanban pieces occurring around the 18th century.


Size 72x5mm Good condition.  read more

Code: 26169