SUPERB BLADE**MINT POLISH**1870-1912 (Meiji Into Taisho Era) Japanese Hand Forged Blade, Smith Signed ‘Kong –O- Sai (Family) Mune Hiro (Sword Name), Kosherae & Shira Saya Resting Scabbards & Hilts, Original Japanese Shinsa & UK Assessment Documents - Swords

**SUPERB BLADE**MINT POLISH**1870-1912 (Meiji Into Taisho Era) Japanese Hand Forged Blade, Smith Signed ‘Kong –O- Sai (Family) Mune Hiro (Sword Name), Kosherae & Shira Saya Resting Scabbards & Hilts, Original Japanese Shinsa & UK Assessment Documents - 20896

This is a superb Japanese tanto blade with resting mounts and Japanese Shinsa papers which has been assessed by UK Japanese sword expert Bill Tagg. His hand written assessment notes accompany this tanto. Extracts from the assessment and notes include “A tanto blade with Kosherae and shira saya. Modern restoration in Japan, mint condition plus Japanese opinion / shinsa papers, blade signed ‘Kong –o- Sai (family) Mune Hiro (sword name). I cannot find a man using this art name in my books or online. This blade is late looks 1870-1912 (Meiji Into Taisho Era). It is a superb blade well forged in mint polish as near perfect as you can get. I found a man using the Go Kong o sai working 1912-26 into Showa period. He is using smith name Masa Tsugu son of Masatsugu and later adopted into the Sakuri family when presumably he changed his name (Go) using Kong o Sai. From then he studied under the famous smith 2nd gen Munet sugu and later under Ise Hiro Tsugu. Needs better papers in Japan to clear up mystery and pin point maker. Kosherae mounts, a shaped shira saya covered dark red/brown crackled lacquer with high quality embossed dragon fixed to saya thick lacquer stand out quality. Small old repair to tsuka otherwise good condition. The papers again a bit of a mystery never seen them like this before. Says on envelope Ho-Jin Bi Jutsu Token (incorporated Art Study Group) then it says Judgement Appraisal Club. The format layout looks like NTHK organisation possibly old type not used now. This is dated 15/2/1984. A superb blade & mount worthy of further research acknowledged in the papers as genuine”. Bill goes on to qualify that he is not a Japanese language expert but relies on his many years of experience regarding the translations and acknowledges that the wording may be open to other interpretation by Japanese experts. In his illustrations of the blade he describes the cutting edge as 10 ½”. Total length just over 14 ½”. He also translates the tang signature and describes other blade measurements and characteristics. The blade and mounts come with 2 cloth bags in which they were found. The price for this superb blade with Japanese & UK expert opinions includes UK delivery. Sn 20896

£1,975.00