S112. Daito signed tachi mei in interesting, unusual mounts.Nagasa: 26 3/16′′ 66.7 cmNakago nagasa: 8 1/16′′ 20.4 cmSori: 9/16′′ 1.3 cmMoto haba: 1 1/8′′ 2.8 cmMoto kasane: 1/4′′ .55 cmSaki haba: 1.9 cmSaki kasane: .35 cmThe top half of a Kanji still hangs on the end of the o-suriage nakago. The hamon is suguba worked in shallow notare and very fine hataraki in ko-nie: suangashi and the like. The boshi is ko-maru with a short kaeri. The hada is itame/mokume with areas of larger hada. There is a small fukure near the kissaki on the tachi omote (pictured) and some small pin prick pits here and there. There are no chips in the edge, ha giri, nioi giri, or ware’; for the most part this is quite healthy.The saya is 100% intact (no lacqer loss) with horn ko jiri, koi guchi, kurikata, and kaeri zumi. The tsuba is shakudo sukashi and unfortunately some bone brain has abrasively cleaned it; it needs to be repatinated. There is a very nice silver foil habaki. Fuchi and kashira are plain iron. The tsuka is wrapped without menuki over lacquered same’. The koshirae puts me in mind of Satsuma.A friend and serious student of the sword has just sent me this, which I will include unedited.“Just my two cents, your tachi mei sword is most interesting. I am sure it is late ( Tenmon) koto, which swords became curved, sakizori and long. The kanji is the first of Kozure no Suke, therefore it is a Higo Dotanuki sword. ( lone wolf and cub)The koshirae is a Edo copy of the Tensho koshirae, and not Satsuma. It is likely carried by a real sword swinger. The handle wrap escaped me but you can look at Darcy’s Yamashro Kuniyoshi and the handle wrap is exactly the same ( plus gold menuki which is an late Edo touch). The tsuba is large for Satsuma, and it was an expensive tsuba–sakudo.Your description on the blade matches Higo also.It is very reasonable, and it should go to a good home, to restore, and keep the mount together. It is a period example, and worth preservation.”Other than a few scratches an

S112. Daito signed tachi mei in interesting, unusual mounts.Nagasa: 26 3/16′′ 66.7 cmNakago nagasa: 8 1/16′′ 20.4 cmSori: 9/16′′ 1.3 cmMoto haba: 1 1/8′′ 2.8 cmMoto kasane: 1/4′′ .55 cmSaki haba: 1.9 cmSaki kasane: .35 cmThe top half of a Kanji still hangs on the end of the o-suriage nakago. The hamon is suguba worked in shallow notare and very fine hataraki in ko-nie: suangashi and the like. The boshi is ko-maru with a short kaeri. The hada is itame/mokume with areas of larger hada. There is a small fukure near the kissaki on the tachi omote (pictured) and some small pin prick pits here and there. There are no chips in the edge, ha giri, nioi giri, or ware’; for the most part this is quite healthy.The saya is 100% intact (no lacqer loss) with horn ko jiri, koi guchi, kurikata, and kaeri zumi. The tsuba is shakudo sukashi and unfortunately some bone brain has abrasively cleaned it; it needs to be repatinated. There is a very nice silver foil habaki. Fuchi and kashira are plain iron. The tsuka is wrapped without menuki over lacquered same’. The koshirae puts me in mind of Satsuma.A friend and serious student of the sword has just sent me this, which I will include unedited.“Just my two cents, your tachi mei sword is most interesting. I am sure it is late ( Tenmon) koto, which swords became curved, sakizori and long. The kanji is the first of Kozure no Suke, therefore it is a Higo Dotanuki sword. ( lone wolf and cub)The koshirae is a Edo copy of the Tensho koshirae, and not Satsuma. It is likely carried by a real sword swinger. The handle wrap escaped me but you can look at Darcy’s Yamashro Kuniyoshi and the handle wrap is exactly the same ( plus gold menuki which is an late Edo touch). The tsuba is large for Satsuma, and it was an expensive tsuba–sakudo.Your description on the blade matches Higo also.It is very reasonable, and it should go to a good home, to restore, and keep the mount together. It is a period example, and worth preservation.”Other than a few scratches an