Item ref: 3818
Private collection, Belgium
The blade is narrow and hira zukuri, with no central ridge line, with itame grain, the hamon suguba of ko-nie, widening at the kissaki and ko maru boshi, slightly turned back at the kissaki. It is unsigned, and fitted with a silvered copper habaki decorated with cat scratches. The dagger is mounted as an aikuchi 合口, the tsuka of plain black lacquer fitted with a pommel cap kabuto-gane of silver alloy stippled with a fish roe texture, and set with menuki of gilt copper in the form of leaf scrolls. The mekugi ana is lined with silver alloy grommets. The saya is lacquered black with sprays of leaves in gold on the front, where there is a silver alloy suspension loop attached by a base in the form of a paulownia or kiri mon. The koiguchi and kojiri are of silver alloy matching the hilt fittings. In a pocket on the scabbard is a kogatana, the blade signed Sagami no kami Masatsune, 相模守政常, with a kozuka of gilt copper decorated with a pair of kogai on a nanako fish roe ground in shakudo.