A KOSHIRA-E (MOUNTING) FOR A DAISHO (MATCHING LONG AND SHORT SWORD)
Edo period (1615-1868), mid 19th century with some earlier components
The saya (scabbards) finished in an irregular mosaic of greenish lacquer, the tsuka (hilts) finished in black lacquer with pale brown tsukamaki wrapping in lozenge pattern, the principal metal fittings comprising kashira (hilt pommel), menuki (hilt grips), fuchi (hilt collar), and tsuba (sword guard), the wakizashi also with a kozuka (handled knife); the other fittings lacquered wood; on the katana (long sword): the menuki shakudo and copper, in the form of centipedes; the fuchigashira iron and gold, chiselled and inlaid with a frog, stream, and grasses, signed Otsuryuken Kaneyuki (1740-1776), Haynes 02616); the tsuba iron, 18th/19th century, fitted with two gold habaki (collars), and with a shakudo rim, chiselled and inlaid in gold, shakudo, and copper insects, the ryohitsu plugged with shakudo; on the wakizashi (short sword): the menuki copper, in the form of snakes; the fuchi-gashira iron and gold, chiselled and inlaid with an abandoned battlefield with bones, skull, and grasses; the tsuba iron, late 16th/early 17th century, fitted with two gold habaki (collars), and with a later shakudo rim, chiselled in openwork with two sotoba (Buddhist grave markers); the kozuka iron, inlaid with a snake in gold and shakudo, signed Jukakusai Mori Tokinobu (1827-1879, Haynes 09742); both sets held together by a wood tsukuri blade; each with a cotton bag. The wakizashi: 71.4cm (28 1/8in) long; the katana: 98cm (38 9/16in) long. (4).
Footnotes:
Some of the less well-known sword-fitting signatures have been identified by their reference number in Robert E. Haynes, The Index of Japanese Sword Fittings and Associated Artists, Ellwangen, Germany, Nihon Art Publishers, 2001.
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