K15. Moroha zukuri tanto with NBTHK Kicho paper dated 1968 and giving this to Mihara School. There is also a NBTHK Hozon paper from 2017 giving the blade to Mihara Masaoki.

Nagasa: 9 9/16″ 24.2 cm.

Sori: uchizori (negative sori)

Moto haba: 2.5 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 3 7/16″ 8.5 cm.

Overall in shira-saya: 15 1/2″ 39.3 cm.

Overall of koshirae: 18 7/16″ 46.9 cm.

Itame mixed with mokume hada and flawless. The hamon is ko-nie in suguba with subtle hataraki. The boshi is sharp and the kaeri returns the total length of the mune. The Mihara school was active in the Nambokucho and into Muromachi; the paper doesn’t specify a time period. There is a tiny nick in the edge, visible only on the omote (see picture #14), and a scuff and a few scratches on the otherwise intact polish. The habaki is gold wash and black lacquer on copper and the shira-saya is well made and in good condition.

The koshirae also is papered, Tokubetsu Kicho, NBTHK, 1968, and sorry, I can’t read what they had to say. The fuchi kashira are Higo, silver flowers on iron and very nicely done. The menuki are gold, silver, and shakudo of men. The tsuka-ito is a bit frayed but not broken. I think the tsuba, iron with soft metal inlay, is quite nice and probably Higo also. The kotsuka is iron with gold & silver. The lacquer on the saya is a bit degraded (feels rough) below the kotsuka on the ura and above the kojiri on the omote, otherwise fine.

Interesting sugata, one not often seen, on the blade and lovely Higo koshirae. Lots to like here. 1 pound, 12 ounces. $2,250.