This is an unsigned katana from the Shinto period with a beautiful scabbard decorated with scattered blue-green mussel shells.

The blade is in relatively good condition with no forging flaws, chips or rust. There is a tiny dot mark at the tip of the blade 12 cm from the hamachi on the sashiomote side.

The jitetsu is a well-packed itame hada with yubashiri in places. Hamon is a well packed suguha, very elegant. The koshirae is in the style of uchigatana, and the fittings were added in later years and are not uniform. The habaki and seppa are modern. The tsuka is a cotton cord wrapped in the hinerimaki style. The scabbard lacquer is applied using the aogai mizin nuri technique. This is a decorative method in which the shell of aogai, a scallop shell of the saxifrage family, is crushed into small pieces, coated with lacquer, and sanded. This method has been used since ancient times as a material for fine Japanese decorative items because of its unique bluish iridescent luster.

This is a great value katana that is the perfect length and weight for a batto or test-cutting katana, and the beautiful scabbard makes it a great value for appreciation as well.

• Blade length: 61.2 cm
• Curvature: 1.3 cm
• Number of Mekugi hole: 1
• Sakihaba: 20.7 mm
• Sakikasane: 5.4 mm
• Motohaba: 32.2 mm
• Motokasane: 6.2 mm
• Signature: No signature
• Era: Shinto
• Structure: Shinogi-zukuri, Iori-mune
• Jitetsu: Itame
• Hamon: Suguha
• Nakago: Ubu
• Weight: 710 g(blade only)/1,000 g(without Saya)
• Koshirae: Black cotton wrapped Tsuka with Aogai Mijin-nuri lacquered Saya
• Original Registration No.: Kumamoto 1135

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