SUPERIOR SMITH**ANCIENT BLADE**C1650’s Bizen School Japanese Wakizashi Short Sword Blade Smith Signed ‘YOKO YAMA KO JUKE KAMI FUJIWARA SUKE SADA’ With WW2 Shin Gunto Army Mounts & Leather Field Service Covered Scabbard With Expert Assessment. Sn 213 Swords

**SUPERIOR SMITH**ANCIENT BLADE**C1650’s Bizen School Japanese Wakizashi Short Sword Blade Smith Signed ‘YOKO YAMA KO JUKE KAMI FUJIWARA SUKE SADA’ With WW2 Shin Gunto Army Mounts & Leather Field Service Covered Scabbard With Expert Assessment. Sn 21345 - 21345

This is a Japanese Wakizashi with ancient blade. The sword has been examined by UK Japanese sword expert Bill Tagg and a copy of his assessment notes accompany the sword. In extracts of his notes he states “ A Bizen school / den wakizashi blade in shin gunto army mounts. Good bizen shape, has been shortened by moving blade shoulders down aprox 2”. Tang end Jiri untouched. A bit short to have been made as an uchigatana originally. Signed by ‘YOKO YAMA KO JUKE KAMI FUJIWARA SUKE SADA’. This is a Jo-Saku rated smith (superior). This mie wants checking out in Japan by the sword expert panels . Whoever made this blade it certainly looks to date to early to mid 17th Century. Good polish shows large mokume grain (hada) and a thick nioi edged hamon of gunome midare, only spoilt a bit by 2 kizu & 1 blister on one side. Bizen den made more good swords than any other school / style. Saya black lacquered honoki wood covered in good brown leather field service cover for war. Tsuba standard gunto pattern, brass with some gilding left on it. Habaki original antique copper, one covered in plate of silver with some decorative cat scratches good condition. Tsuka hilt good intact fish skin wrap, brown cotton ito binding. Metal mounts have brown finish with a bit of gilt left. Missing its knot loop. Never had a locking catch fitted. A nice Bizen antique blade taken to war, good looker, good condition with only a couple of flaws to spoil it being perfect”. In his illustrations of the blade he describes the cutting edge of blade as just over 50 cms. Total length just under 66 cms. He also describes other blade characteristics and dimensions which can be seen in the images. The price includes UK delivery. Sn 21345

£1,350.00