Beschreibung:

A KOTO TACHI, PROBABLY YAMASHIRO RAI OR BIZEN OSAFUNE LATE HEIAN/EARLY KAMAKURA PERIOD (12TH/13TH CENTURY) Configuration ( sugata ): with longitudinal ridge line ( shinogi-zukuri ), shallow peaked back ( iori-mune ) and medium point ( chu-kissaki ); length ( nagasa): 2 shaku , 2 sun , 5.7 bu (68.4 cm.); curvature ( sori): torii-zori of 2.3 cm.; decrease in width of blade ( fumbari ): 1.1 cm. Forging pattern ( jihada ): itame masame with some bo-utsuri . Tempering pattern ( hamon ): very active komidare in nioi and misty ko-nie ; the hamon begins at the omote machi quite widely and blends with some tobiyaki at that point; the width of the hamon on the remaining omote and all of the ura is generally constant, dipping close to the hasaki on both sides approximately 10 cm. from the machi and again in the upper monouchi . Point ( boshi ): generally indistinct, but probably chu-maru . Tang ( nakago ) shape ( keitai ): slender, tapering, uplifted, slightly corroded overall and with a moist, brown patina; file marks ( yasurime ): illegible; end ( nakagojiri ): docked; holes ( mekugi-ana ): two (one maruana , one kaku-anai ); signature ( mei), tachi-mei: ---mitsu (?). Uchigatana koshirae comprising: a russet nashiji saya with lacquer kojiri and koiguchi ; iron tsuba pierced and molded in the round in the form of a lobster, unsigned, Choshu style, 18th century; a black-laced tsuka fitted with: Ko Mino style shakudo and gilt menuki in the form of persimmons and pair of shakudo nanako/shakudo fuchi-kashira with a design of flush and sunken squares, unsigned---length of koshirae 99.6 cm., length of tsuka 24.5 cm., height of tsuba 7.5 cm. Cotton storage bag.