Region of Origin: Japan
Original/Reproduction: Antique Original
Maker: Mumei / unsigned
Type: Japanese Tanto
Blade Length: Approximately 8.5 inches
Overall Length: Approximately 13.5 inches
Blade Material: Traditional Japanese Tamahagane steel
Hamon: Wave-form temper line with visible martensitic crystalline activity
Mountings: Complete matching koshirae with saya, tsuka and kozuka
Decoration: Traditional Japanese nature theme featuring rabbits, insects, flowers and butterflies
Kozuka: Decorated with five individual insect motifs
Saya: Black lacquer with gold and multicolor floral and butterfly decoration
Priced Evaluation: US $1,850.00
Beautiful antique Japanese tanto with a traditional Tamahagane steel blade and complete matching koshirae. The fittings, saya, tsuka and kozuka all follow a coordinated nature-inspired theme, giving the piece the appearance of a complete work of art rather than a collection of unrelated parts.
The black lacquer saya is decorated with gold and multicolor butterflies, flowers, leaves and plant forms. The metal fittings continue the theme with rabbits and insects, while the included kozuka displays five individually rendered insect motifs in contrasting metallic tones. What makes this example especially compelling is the way these elements were conceived as a unified decorative program: the motifs, materials, colors and metalwork remain visually consistent from the saya through the fittings and kozuka, creating a rare sense of completeness and cohesion throughout the entire mounting rather than the appearance of separately assembled components.
The blade is approximately 8.5 inches long, with an overall length of approximately 13.5 inches. It is mumei, or unsigned, and shows a distinctive wave-form hamon with visible martensitic crystalline activity that catches the light from different angles.
The combination of the Tamahagane blade, matching koshirae, lacquer work, detailed metal fittings and decorated kozuka makes this a particularly attractive piece for collectors of Japanese swords, tanto, samurai antiques and traditional Japanese decorative arts.
Blade: Approximately 8.5 inches
Overall Length: Approximately 13.5 inches
Maker: Mumei / unsigned
Origin: Japan
Steel: Traditional Japanese Tamahagane
Hamon: Wave-form temper line with visible martensitic activity
Mountings: Matching koshirae with decorated saya, tsuka and kozuka
Kozuka Decoration: Five insect motifs
Theme: Rabbits, insects, butterflies, flowers and vegetation
Priced Evaluation: US $1,850.00