N110. A ko wakizashi signed Norimitsu in Hizen koshirae.

Nagasa: 14 5/16″ 36.2 cm.

Sori: .6 cm.

Moto haba: 2.9 cm.

Moto kasane: .6 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 4 7/16″ 11.2 cm.

Overall length in koshirae: 22 3/8″ 56.5 cm.

Itame mokume with a few patches of mildly coarse grain. Chu suguba hamon with fine and subtle hataraki, o-maru boshi with a medium kaeri. There are 2 shallow nicks in the edge and there are scratches on the polish. While the signature says nothing about Bizen, this is obviously the work of one of the generations of Norimitsu in Bizen from no earlier than late Nambokucho but more likely Muromachi (late Koto).

I was told by the collector I got this sword from that this is Hizen koshirae; I’m no authority so we’ll go with that. There is a nicely lacquered saya in excellent condition (no lacquer cracked or missing) with horn kurikata and koi-guchi and an iron kojiri with gold inlay on a tiger and dragon. The tsuba is pine bark mon in iron with a soft metal (copper, brass?) fukurin. The fuchi kashira are iron and the tsuka is covered in iron. What pass for menuki are silver arrow feathers and there are silver clips on either side of the kashira and silver pins top and bottom of the tsuka. There is no corrosion on the iron; condition of the koshirae is excellent. The habaki is, I believe, gold wash on copper.

1 pound, 10 ounces. Was $3,500, now $2,000.