Q749. Katana koshirae (no sword). Overall length is 3′ (91 cm.). The tsuba is iron with sukashi of an umbrella and snow flakes. The fuchi is copper; the kashira is horn. The menuki are shakudo, stalks of millet I believe, with minimal gold inlay and there is a tiny dragonfly on each (love it). The saya is black lacquer with horn ko jiri, kurikata, and koi guchi; there is a gold colored sageo in good condition. This koshirae is mounted with a wood tsunagi that has been cut short but serves just fine to hold all together.

Condition is excellent: there are no nicks or dings in the lacquer and the tsuka-ito is perfectly intact.

Beginning collectors often, after purchasing a sword in shirasaya, set about buying parts and having koshirae made to fit their blade. This rarely makes financial sense; the cost of parts and labor necessary to assemble the mount far exceeds any added value. My advise to them is to purchase an existing koshirae to display beside the sword, which is best left in its shirasaya anyway. This koshirae is a good example; its price is pennies on the dollar compared to what it would cost to have it made. 1 pound, 8 ounces. $650.