Japanese

A Superb Choice For This Christmas, And a Special Price Too! A Very Good World War II Imperial Japanese Army Officer's Katana.Signed Munetada.& Dated

Signed; Ni Ti Nampo {made at Southern Area South East Asia} Hokkushu {North Province by Munetada, in the reign of Showa, in 1945 Hatchi Gatsu in an auspicious month.

Exceptionally signed in great detail on both sides of the nakago tang, describing it was made in the South East Asian Japanese Empire, in Showa 1945, by Munetada. It is a beautiful blade with all its original shingunto jungle combat wooden saya and tsuka mounting, completely bound in jungle combat leather, with a brass mokko form tsuba.

These late war katanas are probably the most interesting of all the wartime made Japanese officers swords due to the exigencies of late war supplies to the IPA in their declining last year, facing the greatest amount of combat against the allies that they had ever experienced. The Imperial Japanese armed forces occupied massive territories captured from the British, Dutch and Chinese. During this time of the beleaguered Japanese Army sergeants, that were promoted in the field to officer's, often had to have swords such as this. The reputation of Imperial Army troops during the Pacific War of refusing to surrender was established by the low number of Japanese survivors in numerous battles throughout the Pacific Campaign; 921 captured out of a garrison strength of 31,000 in the Battle of Saipan, 17 out of 3000 in the Battle of Tarawa, 7,400–10,755 out of 117,000 in the Battle of Okinawa, with a high number of battlefield suicides sanctioned by the Imperial Army. In the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) just over 1,000 surrendered in each of 1942 and 1943, around 5,100 in 1944, and over 12,000 in 1945, and might have been greater except for disease. Propaganda through leaflet drops by the Americans accounted for about 20% of surrenders; equating to about one POW for every 6,000 leaflets dropped; while the Japanese objected to the "unscrupulous" leaflets, which contained some truth with regard to the willingness of American forces to accept surrenders from the Japanese. This was in contrast to Imperial Japanese Army practice of depicting American troops as cruel and merciless, referring to them as Kichiku Beihei, (Demonic Beast) and informing their own troops that Americans would rape all captured women and torture the men, leading directly to brutal treatment of Allied POWs in incidents such as the Bataan Death March and the mass suicide of Japanese soldiers and civilians during the Battle of Saipan and Battle of Okinawa. It was from Japanese officers such as these that these swords, were taken at the surrender or termination in combat of the officers, and the 1945 made swords were the rarest to survive of all. This sword was originally purchased by a collector from our late friend, neighbour and local dealer, located in the old Armoury, at the House of Correction, in the Lanes, Paul Grafton, in around 1962.

The leather cover on the saya has shrunk a little at the top, and the habaki blade collar mount is a little bruised from use, but the blade condition is remarkably well preserved. The combat leather has incredible aged patina  read more

Code: 25569

A Very Good WW2 Japanese Kaiten or Zero Kamikaze Pilots 'Seppuku' {Hara-Kiri} Tanto Signed Seki {Mino} Junin Kanesada With Fine Hamon. This Is Certainly One Of, If Not The, Best Examples We Have Ever Seen

A traditional, signed, and most rare seppuku suicide dagger in shira saya standard wooden mounting. Issued in WW2

Unusually, signed on the blade face as a form of horimono. With a very good notare hamon and good kissaki turn back. Full hi to one side, and typical yakideshi hamon end. Nicely naturally aged short tang with early hand punched mekugi ana.

There is no set pattern that the knives conform to as they were not a standard issue they were privately purchased by the pilot himself or was given to him as a gift.

Every example is different, some have a blade inscription (hardly any), some had a leather scabbard cover like the swords have, and most do not have a signed Tang.

The very type as were presented to the WW2 Zero pilots before their Kamikaze suicide missions {see photo in the gallery} and also given to or purchased by Kaiten pilots, the Japanese navy's one man human suicide torpedoes. Blade wartime period, traditionally made. A must have piece, for collectors of fine Samurai edged weapons, who have yet to gain one of these most interesting daggers for their collection. Photo in the gallery shows a WW2 'Kamikaze' pilot being issued his suicide Seppuku tanto in the Kaiten ceremony. Originally they would have had an exterior brown leather cover and neck strap. The pilot had the choice whether to commit suicide, or not. It was not an order, nor directive and if the pilot missed the ship he had the option of killing himself to ask forgiveness of the honourable ancestors for his failure, as many of the planes had only enough fuel for a one way trip. Because the Zero pilot was belted into a very narrow seat and wearing many layers of his cold atmospheric pilot's flying suit with the addition of his life vest; it would be impossible for the aeronautical pilot to commit traditional ritual seppuku. It is said the procedure was to pull the knife out from it's neck sheath and thrust it straight into the throat much like the ladies form of seppuku. Fortunately and obviously this tanto’s original recipient likely failed in his task, and thus it survived intact.

This seppuku tanto survived the war simply because the pilot both aeronautical or maritime} failed in their mission one way or another

In recognition of the unfavorable progress of the war, towards the end of 1943 the Japanese high command considered suggestions for various suicide craft. These suggestions were initially rejected, but later deemed necessary. Various suicide craft were developed in the Japanese Special Attack Units.

For the Navy, this meant Kamikaze planes, Ohka piloted bombs, Shinyo suicide boats, Kaiten submarines, and Fukuryu suicide divers or human mines. The Kamikazes were somewhat successful, and the second most successful were the Kaitens.3

Research on the first Kaiten began in February 1944, followed on 25 July of the same year by the first prototype. By 1 August, an order for 100 units had been placed.

The island of Ōzushima, in the Inland Sea, was used as a training site. The island was equipped with cranes, torpedo testing pits, and launch ramps, and had a large shallow bay for test running and firing. The Kaiten Memorial Museum is now situated there.

Kaiten pilots were all men aged between 17 and 28. Initial training consisted of sailing fast surface boats by periscope and instrument readings alone. When a pilot had advanced past this basic training, he would begin training on Kaitens. Training craft were fitted with a dummy warhead that contained telemetry equipment and an emergency blowing tank that could return the craft to the surface should the trainee dive to a dangerous depth. Kaiten training started with basic circular runs to and from a fixed landmark at a reduced speed; the training advanced to faster and more hazardous runs around rocks and through channels in deeper waters. The more difficult runs required the pilot to surface and check the periscope repeatedly, and required conscientious adjusting of trim tank levels because of the reducing weight as oxygen was used up. When the instructors were confident about a pilot's abilities, they would advance the pilot to open water training against target ships. Training at this level was often done at full attack speed, and either at night or in twilight. The final phase of training would be a submarine launch and more open water attack runs on target ships.212

Training was dangerous, and 15 men died in accidents, most commonly collisions with the target vessels. Although the warheads were only dummies, the impact at ramming speed was enough to both cripple the Kaiten and severely injure the pilot.13

In action, the Kaiten was always operated by one man, but the larger training models (Types 2, 4, and 5) could carry two or even four.

Kaiten pilots who were leaving for their final missions would leave testaments and messages behind for their loved ones

Blade has a pewter habaki and plain shira saya.  read more

Code: 25551

Beautiful, Original Antique Samurai Katana Signed By High Rated Master Smith, Masashige Tegarayama, 手柄山正繁 With Highly Rare Tamashigiri Cutting Test, By Gonnosuke Komatsubara, Dated 1799, Shinshinto Era Higo Fuchi Kashira.

The tsuka has Higo school, Edo period, plain iron fuchi kashira, and a very nice pair of gold dragon with ken menuki, and a fine copper habaki with blue-green silk tsuka-ito over traditional samegawa {giant rayskin}.

An elegant full length hi horimono blade, with a narrow suguha hamon, with just a few, as can occasionally be expected from swords kept in the UK in the 1870’s, minuscule, age and edge marks mostly to one side of the blade, thus priced accordingly. Signed by a master smith of great status dated and tested by the execution of a criminal by a a shogunate approved tamashgiri master of the Yamada family.

By Masashige Tegarayama. 手柄山　正繁
He was famous and highly regarded as a sword smith .
On the other side is a man named Gonnosuke Komatsubara. 小松原　権之助.
He is the tamegashiri master who tested the sharpness of this sword when he was going to execute a criminal with it.
The date is August 13,1799 （寛政十一年八月十三日）and the only people who could execute a criminal were those from family recognized by the shogunate, and who were adopted by the sixth head of that family Yoshimasa Yamada. 山田吉昌. known as the Shogun's Executioners
The text next to the date indicated the evaluation of the sharpness of the sword.
The characters written are “Chichiwari Dodan “ 乳割　土壇　which means that the criminal was laid on a foundation piled with earth, and when the chest was cut , the cut reached the ground, this is a record of where the sword was actually cut and how far it cut.

The tsuba is a super example of an eight-spoke wheel that connects the rim to the plate in this Katchushi Tsuba, likely Koto period circa 450 years old. The ‘spokes’, which symbolize the ‘eight fold path’, radiate from the plate, of ribbed octagonal rim. The surface has perfect colouration and patina, the quality of iron is very good. The Buddhist Eightfold Path consists of eight practices: right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right samadhi ('meditative absorption or union'; alternatively, unanimous meditative awareness)

Katchushi means armoursmith in Japanese.
So, it is said that the definition of Katchushi-Tsuba is tsuba made by armour-smiths.

The saya has a beautiful black urushi lacquer ribbed top section, with a bottom section of nishiji gold urushi lacquer.

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. Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu to stop the spear exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they could be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.  read more

Code: 25464

A Most Rare & Fabulous Original Antique Japanese Samurai Sword Stick, a Shikomizue 仕込み杖, "Prepared Cane" With A Stunning Cloisonné Form Polychrome Urushi Lacquer Dragon Handle, & Ken Form Blade

Considering its rarity quality and beauty, this would not have been the sword of a regular samurai, but one of high status and position, possibly a Daimyo clan Lord, or a superior status samurai of high rank and wealth.

With a long and most elegant blade, this is possibly one of the most beautiful of it's types we have seen in quite some time. The blade design is in the ancient Japanese sword form known as ‘ken’, and single edged, with a false edge turn back at the kissaki. Ken is the shape of the earliest straight samurai swords in use around 1000 years ago.

The stick is fully and superbly fully lacquered with a top section of a cloisonné multi coloured lacquer design of a dragon. The cane’s haft is covered in a translucent clear cherry wood style urushi lacquer The lacquer work is naturally wear aged with light surface marks, and the blade also has signs of natural wear and age through use. But overall it is a very rare example, in nice condition for its age, with a very rare form of cloisonne work we have never seen before.

Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire. called cloisons, however, almost always it is worked in metal and enamel, but this example is extraordinarily rare in that it is achieved with differing colours of urushi lacquer instead of glass, within the cloisons. Very likely made in Ama and Nagoya of Aichi Prefecture

This piece absolutely the same form hidden sword {although with very superior high status decoration} used by the world reknown fictional blind samurai Zatoichi. He does not carry a traditional katana, instead using a very well-made shikomizue (cane sword) just as this sword is. Shikomizue were often straight-edged, lower-quality blades which could not compare with regular katana, but as revealed in Zatoichi's cane sword, his weapon was forged by a master bladesmith and is of superior quality, just like this rare and fine bladed example.

In the 1870's the Meiji Emperor disbanded the fuedal samurai order and banned the wearing of the sword. This created much unrest and rebellion between the samurai and the government, and subsequently some samurai moved to carrying the ‘hidden sword’ called shikomizue. Therefore, via a circuitous route, they still remain armed, but with their katana completely hidden from view. By that way, they felt, at least in part, their traditional samurai honour remained intact. The blade is super quality, far better that a usual shikomizue, with fine brightness, no corrosion at all, and traces of hamon, with miniscule edged contact marks. The blade is ken, and as typical, very straight.  read more

Code: 25560

A Beautiful Koto-Shinto Period Signed Yasuhiro, in KiiKuni. Antique Samurai Daisho With Rokakku Clan Mon. Traditional Daisho, the Two Swords Of The Samurai, Comprise a Fine Daito Long Sword & Signed Shoto Short Sword. With With Pierced Rokakko Mon

Signed Koto daisho, circa 16th century , with beautiful elegant blades, the saya are very fine, delicate and rare, light ‘cinnabar red’ lacquer, also known as coromandel red {named from the pink petaled flower} urushi lacquer to the saya, often made with the addition of perilla oil. The condition of both saya is very good just a couple of aged surface nicks
The colour created from urushi lacquer mixed with cinnabar was rewarded to them as the most famous warriors of all the samurai clans of Japan, the Li, and the Takeda.
The blades both have superbly beautiful notare hamon, in very good polish
Signed 記伊國住 康廣
Kii Kuni. Jyu Yasu Hiro.
The meaning is Yasuhiro, who lives in KiiKuni.
However, the first word is written as 記. But the better kanji should be 紀. It is impossible to mistake the name of the place where one lives, so one could research that kanji.
This sword was made in the 1500’s to 1600s. There were two generations of Yasuhiro there at that time.

Their clan mon tettsu tsuba have a polished surface finish bevelled towards the edge. Matching daito long sword and shoto short sword tsubas, very finely pierced with the Rokakku samurai clan's crest, the "kamon". The tsuka ito was rebound in cream silk in the post Taisho period, as is very usual due to the wear and natural aging of the Edo period silk tsuka-ito, and the signed cast fuchi kashira, that have a deep takebori design Hiranami style of crashing waves in gilt over metal, and the four gilt and silvered menuki of samurai are all very likely from that same late period.

Founded by Sasaki Yasutsuna of Omi Province in the 13th century, the name Rokkaku was taken from their residence within Kyoto; however, many members of this family continued to be called Sasaki. Over the course of the Muromachi period, members of the clan held the high post of Constable (shugo) of various provinces.
During the Onin War (1467-77), which marked the beginning of the Sengoku period, the clan's Kannonji Castle came under assault. As a consequence of defeat in the field, the clan entered a period of decline.
Like other hard-pressed daimyos, the Rokakku tried to enhance their military position by giving closer attention to improved civil administration within their domain. For instance, in 1549, the Rokakku eliminated a paper merchant's guild in Mino under penalty of confiscation. Then they declared a free market in its place.

The Rokakku were defeated by Oda Nobunaga in 1568 on his march to Kyoto and in 1570 they were absolutely defeated by Shibata Katsuie. During the Edo period, Rokkaku Yoshisuke's descendants were considered a koke clan. Historically, or in a more general context, the term koke may refer to a family of old lineage and distinction. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other. A samurai's daisho were his swords, as worn together, as stated in the Tokugawa edicts. In a samurai family the swords were so revered that they were passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. If the hilt or scabbard wore out or broke, new ones would be fashioned for the all-important blade. The hilt, the tsuba (hand guard), and the scabbard themselves were often great art objects, with fittings sometimes of gold or silver. Often, too, they ?told? a story from Japanese myths. Magnificent specimens of Japanese swords can be seen today in the Tokugawa Art Museum?s collection in Nagoya, Japan.
In creating the sword, a sword craftsman, such as, say, the legendary Masamune, had to surmount a virtual technological impossibility. The blade had to be forged so that it would hold a very sharp edge and yet not break in the ferocity of a duel. To achieve these twin objectives, the sword maker was faced with a considerable metallurgical challenge. Steel that is hard enough to take a sharp edge is brittle. Conversely, steel that will not break is considered soft steel and will not take a keen edge. Japanese sword artisans solved that dilemma in an ingenious way. Four metal bars, a soft iron bar to guard against the blade breaking, two hard iron bars to prevent bending and a steel bar to take a sharp cutting edge were all heated at a high temperature, then hammered together into a long, rectangular bar that would become the sword blade. When the swordsmith worked the blade to shape it, the steel took the beginnings of an edge, while the softer metal ensured the blade would not break. This intricate forging process was followed by numerous complex processes culminating in specialist polishing to reveal the blades hamon and to thus create the blade's sharp edge. Inazo Nitobe stated: 'The swordsmith was not a mere artisan but an inspired artist and his workshop a sanctuary. Daily, he commenced his craft with prayer and purification', or, as the phrase was, 'he committed his soul and spirit into the forging and tempering of the steel.'
Celebrated sword masters in the golden age of the samurai, roughly from the 13th to the 17th centuries, were indeed revered to the status they richly deserved.  read more

Code: 25536

Antique 'Ancestral' Blade of 400 to 500 Years Old Katana in WW2 Japanese Officer's Regulation Type 98 Mounting For WW2 Officers. With A Fine & Unusual Extra Light Weight Alloy Scabbard. Possibly For A Flying Officer.

This has lain in a British officer's family ownership since 1945/6, since its return as a surrendered sword from the Imperial Japanese officer to whom it formerly belonged, in the service of his emperor.
this beautiful sword would be Ideal, for a collector of such historic and desirable Japanese swords of WW2, but with an ancient ancestral blade history that stretches back almost 500 years.

Shinogi zukuri with high ridge line and very narrow mitsu mune. The saya is traditional green lacquer painted on a very lightweight alloy, with brass type 98 fittings, a single belt suspension ring and semegane; It has a tsuka of traditional wood wrapped in beige silk cloth Ito over white samegawa (ray skin), with standard 38 pattern brass military mounts, including fuchi, tsuba with its kabutogane with sarute in metal, with a pair of menuki decorated with sakura and chrysanthemums. The regulation saya retaining press button in the fuchi has been removed by the Japanese officer, as is very often the case {see photo 7}. The button clip was designed to hold the blade within its saya {scabbard} while ‘on the run” so to speak. This was a technical safety advantage, however, officers trained in iaido {the traditional martial art of the drawing of the sword from its saya} had no such fitting on regular katana, and the button could cause a millisecond or even more of delay in combat, which by traditional swordplay standards is not only unacceptable it was also, potentially, a fatal drawback and disadvantage to the swordsman. Thus, they often removed and discarded this feature from the sword entirely.

The ancestral blade was made from around 1520 to 1600, and thus this sword would have seen service by up to 20 samurai, plus the WW2 officer within it's combat lifetime. Used by that very last Japabese owner, that was mounted and taken to war, by probably the eldest son of the family, likely a pilot, from a family with old samurai heritage.

This sword has pretty much remained untouched for 75 years, and looks just as it did when, for example it was removed from the standing plane's cockpit. The Japanese combat planes often had a metal container within the cockpit that would hold the pilot's combat katana or wakazashi. Although the pilot was never expected to likely need his sword while on a mission, he was expected to die with it if his plane should crash or explode, and if his plane was to crash land, and he survived, he would have his officer's sword to maintain his life in potential enemy territory.
The blade has a stunning hamon and in jolly nice polish, that is just being lightly cleaned at present, then it will be re-photographed. A likely Crew Gunto mounted sword, with an early Koto to Shinto period ancestral chisa katana blade showing a beautiful, fine and active hamon. The whole sword is simply in super condition for it's age. The blade is set with its all traditional WW2 38 pattern Showa brass fittings, a fine tsuba with its green lacquered metal saya with all traditional brass mountings. It would be known as a crew-gunto, and carried by a Japanese fighter pilot from 1936 until 1945. The shorter military mounted swords, or those in very light weight saya, were very often worn during WW2 for those that fought, during combat, such as a bomber or a Zero fighter plane.

Photo in the gallery shows Kamikaze pilots getting into their planes, and photos of the Kaiten ceremony. Another two photos of Japanese pilots with their crew gunto swords, for information only photos not included. Collectors frequently seek Shin Gunto swords that have an original handed down 'Ancestral' blade, as it is said less than one in a hundred Japanese swords, surrendered in WW2, were swords such as this. This form of sword was often the prerogative of an eldest born son, that went to fight for his Emperor in WW2, with his ancestor's blade set in traditional military mounts.

This sword is an exceptional piece of WW2 Japanese historical interest, and very early ancestral swords are scarce in themselves, outnumbered at least 10 to 1 by gendaito swords, but the short 'crew gunto' are much rarer than even that, in our experience, so this makes it potentially, in theory, well over a 100 times scarcer than a regular Japanese WW2 officers sword in our opinion.
Overall 38 inches long, blade 22.75 inches from tsuba to tip, in beautiful polish, overall in super condition, with slight combat stress marks on the top of the ura on the shinogi ji before the yokote. The saya lacquer is around 85% intact but with small areas of lacquer loss.
Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25339

A Most Fine & Attractive Antique Pre Edo Period Koto Han Dachi Mounted {Semi Tachi Style} Samurai Katana With A Superb Blade in Near Pristine Condition

With two part hidden secret compartment fuchi, for concealing small intelligence notes.
Circa 550 years old, and a delight to observe the wonderful elegant curvature to the blade. It has all original Edo period mounts fittings and saya, with original saya intricately patterned pine needle urushi lacquer. Typical original Edo period handachi mounts of matching, kashira, sayajiri, kurigata in a crashing wave takebori design of gilded brass, and a brass fuchi that is disguised to conceal it seperates into two parts to reveal a very narrow section to conceal small script notes. With a beautiful Edo mokko form iron tsuba with gold onlay of immortals one holding a staff, another reading a scroll held by a third figure, beneath a prunus tree . All untouched for over 150 years since it arrived in England in the 1870's. It has a very active undulating notare hamon, and fine grain within the hada, on the stunning blade, and it’s all original Edo period tsukaito binding to the hilt, in black silk, wrapped over a pair of gilt dragon menuki, and overall it has usual light signs of wear and use upon the saya, with age appropriate wear as to be expected.

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 behavior on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.

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.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu to stop the spear expanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

it has been said that part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
Some samurai, it has been claimed, didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace.

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 decorated samurai sword saya and also ceremonial and decorative objects for their homes and palaces.  read more

Code: 25549

A Beautiful Koto Period Samurai Chisa Katana, Around 500 Years Old

Most handsome original Koto period samurai sword with fine quality original matching Edo period fuchigashira and menuki with gold decorated flowers and birds, a birds in flight pierced o-sukashi tsuba in iron.

Original Edo saya with a chamfered panel to one side.

A katana was two shaku or longer in length (one shaku = about 11.93 inches). However, the Chisa katana is longer than the wakizashi, which was somewhere in between one and two shaku in length. The most common blade lengths for Chisa katana was approximately eighteen to twenty-four inches. They were most commonly made in the Buke-Zukuri mounting (which is generally what is seen on katana and wakizashi). The chisa katana was able to be used with one or even two hands like a katana. The Chisa Katana is a slightly shorter Katana highly suitable for two handed, or two sword combat, or, combat within enclosed areas such as castles or buildings. As such they were often the sword of choice for the personal Samurai guard of a Daimyo, and generally the only warriors permitted to be armed in his presence. Chisa katana, Chiisagatana or literally "short katana", are shoto mounted as katana.

The chisa katana was also the long sword of choice for the art of twin sword combat, using two at once in unison, a chisa katana and wakazashi, one in each hand, a form used by the great and legendary samurai Miyamoto Musashi who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday.
Miyamoto Musashi 1584 – June 13, 1645), also known as Shinmen Takezo, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Doraku, was an expert Japanese swordsman and ronin. Musashi, as he was often simply known, became renowned through stories of his excellent, and unique double bladed swordsmanship and undefeated record in his 60 duels. He was the founder of the Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu or Niten-ryu style of swordsmanship and in his final years authored the The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is still studied today.
21 inch blade tsuba to tip. 32 inches long overall

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 24954

A Beautiful Koto to Early Shinto Period Samurai Sword Katana Signed Kanetake. Probably Azuchi Momoyama Era Mino Tradition. With a Flock Of Cranes Openwork Tsuba

Signed Kanetake 兼 武 1500's to early 1600's
There is swordsmith named after him in Sekijuji, Noushu. The period of that smith is thought to around 1600.
Black tuska ito over gold dragon takebori menuki, a fuchi of gold shellfish on a nanako ground, and a carved buffalo horn kashira. Original black urushi lacquer saya, and a maru-gata tsuba of delightful quality, with openwork and relief decorations, depicting a takebori flock of cranes taking flight, with gold rims to the kogai ana and kozuka ana. The blade is superb for age showing a beautiful and very fine narrow suguha hamon. Just a few scratches at the kissaki {these can be polished}

In Japan, the crane, or tsuru, is a national treasure and is considered the bird of happiness. It is depicted in art, literature, and mythology as a symbol of good luck and longevity because it is said to live 1,000 years. An ancient Japanese legend promises that when you fold a thousand origami cranes, you will be granted a wish by the sacred crane.
Originally, a swordsmith named Kanetake lasted in Mino province (today’s Gifu prefecture) for generations since the late Muromachi period (the early-mid 16th century). Then, the late-gen Kanetake, active during the Azuchi Momoyama period (the late 16th century), is said to have moved to Inuyama in Owari province due to the war and founded the Inuyama school. Therefore, it is believed that the Inuyama school was influenced by the Mino-style tradition of sword forging. The swords forged by the late-gen Kanetake, active in the early Edo period, are said to be rare and have dynamic characteristics.
Mino Province is one of the most famous and historical sword-forging sites. There were so many schools forging blades during the Samurai period. It especially prospered during Sengoku Jidai (Warring State period) due to the high demand for weapons. And the location of Mino province beat others. Akechi Mitsuhide controlled Mino province, Nobunaga Oda ruled Owari province, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was the lord of Suruga (Neighboring areas). There was high demand from those powerful feudal lords and their retainers.

Furthermore, many wars occurred between the Kanto region and the Kyoto area. Mino is located in the middle, making feudal lords feel convenient to order swords from MINO swordsmiths. Many feudal lords demanded swords forged in the Mino province. The blades forged in MINO provinces also had a reputation for their practical design and sharpness.

The tradition of excellent sword forging skills had been passed throughout the Edo period. And, to look for better opportunities, many swordsmiths in Mino province moved to other parts of Japan, such as Owari province, located right next to Mino province. Those who moved to Owari from Mino are called Owari Seki.

As Owari province was active in martial arts during the early Edo period, there was much demand for swords among high-class Samurai. And there were quite a few renowned swordsmiths in Owari province, but many of them only forged blades for the Owari domain. Owari domain was known as Tokugawa Gosanke (徳川御三家) and had powerful political power, closely connected to Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo city.  read more

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