Q550.  Suriage katana with partial mei.

Nagasa: 24 7/8″  63 cm.

Sori:  1.6 cm.

Moto haba:  3.1 cm.

Moto kasane:  .5 cm.

Saki haba:  2.1 cm.

Saki kasane:  .4 cm.

Nakago nagasa:  6 5/8″  16.7 cm.

Overall in koshirae:  35 5/8″  95.5 cm.

Shinogi zukuri, koshi zori, iore mune, chu kissaki. The hada is ko itame in abundant ji-nie. The hamon is midareba in gunome notare in a bright and consistent nioi guchi covered in ko-nie, with sunagashi, kinsuji, and hotsure. The boshi is suguba ending in chu-maru and a kaeri to just below the yokote. The blade is healthy and flawless. It is in polish in that everything can be seen clearly but there are a few shallow scratches and a series of tiny nicks in the edge: pity someone had to mess with it. It is mounted with a single copper habaki and comes with a Hozon paper from the NBTHK in Tokyo, dated 2009 and confirming the mei: Hizen Kuni Kawa (motika kiru, the rest is cut) (Kawachi no Kami Masahiro).

The katana koshirae is in excellent condition. The black lacquer saya has horn kojiri, kurikata, & koi guchi; there are a few small dents in the lacquer but no cracks or splitting. The tsuba is iron. The fuchi is shakudo with a gold mon; the kashira is horn. The menuki are gold (gilt, I’m sure) and shakudo dragons on ken. The tsuka-ito is intact on good quality same’.

Hizen Kawachi no Kami Masahiro was the eldest son of Shodai Hizen Kawachi no Daijo Masahiro, who was himself the 2nd son of Shodai Hizen Tadahiro. He was born in 1627 and passed away in 1699. His work is well representative of the Hizen School and this piece is no exception. Masahiro is rated Jo Saku in Fujishiro.

This is a good sword from a respected smith. Too bad the polish is dinged but I have priced it accordingly. 2 pounds, 14 ounces. $2,750.