A finely mounted tanto, the blade signed Bishu and dated Oei (1394), the remainder cut off, takenokozori and ihorimune with mokume hada and gonome hamon of nioi, suriage nakago, 24.8cm long; with mijingainuri saya decorated in gold hiramakie with tomoemon, fujimon and another, the hilt with gilt and shakudo-nanakoji fuchi-kashira richly decorated with manstises, autumn plants and the crescent moon, the shakudo tsuba decorated with a gilt ho-o and kiri. A signed shakudo kozuka with decoration of a branch with flower petals in gold.

Provenance:
Christie’s, London, November 1988