Japanese officer sword with family crest on it

[rajko84]

I picked this up few weeks ago. I think it is traditional family blade put inside of army mounts. It does not have signature on the blade that I can see. It looks like the officer put his name on the scabbard before he surrendered his sword.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Regards RD

[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[rajko84]

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[Death-Ace]

I picked this up few weeks ago. I think it is traditional family blade put inside of army mounts. It does not have signature on the blade that I can see. It looks like the officer put his name on the scabbard before he surrendered his sword.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Regards RD

Nice blade! Looks to be a late koto (1500s) blade that has been cut down from it's longer original length (o-suriage). I want to say it looks like Mino work but the more knowledgeable guys will definitely help on that! Is the tsuba pierced?

[GHP]

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That crest is of a Mandarin Orange blossom:

丸に橘
"Maru-ni-Tachibana" [Mandarin Orange within a Circle]


Tachibana clan of court nobles info here
And .... not all who use a particular kamon have the same name, nor are they all noble, nor descended from nobility. But who knows?


--Guy

[Beater]

Nice blade! Looks to be a late koto (1500s) blade that has been cut down from it's longer original length (o-suriage). I want to say it looks like Mino work but the more knowledgeable guys will definitely help on that! Is the tsuba pierced?

I can go along with everything said here. The bi-sected mekugi ana, at the bottom of the nakago, was probably the original. You can therefore work out roughly how much the blade has been shortened. The position of the base of the bo-hi also helps determine original length.

The rust at the top, which was once part of the blade, is dark and well patinated, so this must have been like this a long time. It may have originally been a tachi of some considerable length?

So clearly a Koto period sword, when the various schools are more defined than on later blades. The hamon, although not quite a classic sanbonsugi of Mino-den school, certainly looks to be of that persuasion.

A really nice sword. Well done with your find.

[BenVK]

What a great find, congrats!

Guys, I understand that Tachi were longer than Uchigatana and Katana but what other features do you look for to identify them? I find it really difficult to judge when they've been shortened because the original curvature "Sori" isn't so easy to see.

From what I've read, Tachi usually exhibit Koshi Sori, is that correct?

[rajko84]

Nice blade! Looks to be a late koto (1500s) blade that has been cut down from it's longer original length (o-suriage). I want to say it looks like Mino work but the more knowledgeable guys will definitely help on that! Is the tsuba pierced?

I will check when I get home. Thank you

[rajko84]

That crest is of a Mandarin Orange blossom:

丸に橘
"Maru-ni-Tachibana" [Mandarin Orange within a Circle]


Tachibana clan of court nobles info here
And .... not all who use a particular kamon have the same name, nor are they all noble, nor descended from nobility. But who knows?


--Guy

Thank you Guy

[Bob Coleman]

I think this blade has a chance of being older than Late Muramachi. To answer Ben's question, tachi were not always koshi zori. It depends on the school of sword smithing in the old word period. Always bound in the Bizen School but not in the other schools such as Yamashiro, Yamato Soshu and Mino.
This blade should be submitted to an expert for an in hands inspection.