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A very old wakizaki with 13 family mons from 3 different groups on its tsuba and menuki.
An old Koto blade from Muromachi era with very old handachi mounting. The blade is in its old polish and has aged beautifully aged and in its old polish.
This sword according to a Japanese collector represents an alliance of 3 clans and was presented to Tokugawa Isyasu as an oath to fight on his side in the Battle of Sekigahara that finally united the whole of Japan and start the beginning of Tokugawa Shogunate.
As in the Japanese tradition, after the battle, this sword was presented back to chief warlord together with rewards of land and other gifts as a gesture of appreciation.
It stayed in the Samurai clan for generations.
In 1868, Emperor Meiji abolished the Samurai class and banned the carrying of swords.
Many Fedual lords lost their source of income and with large number of retainers and castle to maintain, their coffers became empty over time.
With Japan opening up to the outside world, vast numbers of top quality swords were sold by the improvished fedual families to western antique dealers who visited Japan to acquire samuarai related stuff to meet the demand in their countries fantasized by stories of the samurais. Samurai swords, armors and related stuff were much sought after by the western collectors.
This sword came from an old American Collection and upon the death of the collector, this sword was sold in the estate sale. This sword with its original mounting and metal fittings have not been touched since the time it left Japan.
The overall length is 34.5 inches and the blade is 23.5 inches long with wavy hamon through out the whole blade and despite its age, it is still razor sharp. A polish usually last 200 years if properly maintained.
Price : NOT FOR SALE