Antique Japanese Tanto, unsigned (mumei) — mid-Edo period — hira-zukuri with bō-hi on both faces — in a horn-fitted shirasaya with a gold double habaki

Unsigned mid-Edo hira-zukuri tanto · itame mixed with mokume · a gentle notare with ko-gunome and bright ko-nie · a neatly carved bō-hi on both faces · preserved in a tsunotsuki shirasaya with a gold niju-habaki

We present an unsigned (mumei) tanto, judged to be a work of around the mid-Edo period, in which practical beauty and a refined aesthetic sit side by side. Freshly off the polish, the exceptionally sound blade is essentially flawless, keeping a superb state in both ground and edge. With a slightly broad, dignified hira-zukuri form and a trim bō-hi run neatly along both faces, it is a piece that conveys the quiet beauty and sure forging skill of the mid-Edo era.

Workmanship and condition

Carefully polished, the blade is soundness itself, without flaw or fault — in top-grade condition. The jigane is based on an itame (tree-ring–like wood grain) into which swirling mokume (burl grain) mixes, a very rewarding forging to view. The hamon is a leisurely notare mixed with ko-gunome, with fine ko-nie gathering brightly along the temper edge; within the edge, varied activity such as ashi and yō scatters gently, offering rich appreciation within the clear blade. The tang (nakago) retains its file marks and, though unsigned and clothed in a natural age patina, fully asserts the high quality of the work.

Form

The slightly broad hira-zukuri form gives the blade, small though it is, a weighty presence and real substance. Its greatest appeal is the deep bō-hi carved through both faces, which tightens the whole figure visually while expressing the craftsman's skill in lightening the blade and yet keeping its strength. The well-balanced heft in the hand and the smooth flesh (hiraniku) of the hira-zukuri are, quite simply, a delight to the eye.

The shirasaya and mounting

The blade comes in an elegant horn-fitted (tsunotsuki) shirasaya, well suited to cherishing and storage: the koiguchi (mouth) and kurikata are fitted with water-buffalo horn for a sturdy, high-toned finish, showing how carefully it was handed down by its former keeper. The habaki is a bright gold double collar (niju-habaki), its surface worked with fine slanted file-marks (shigure-yasuri) that further raise the dignity of the blade.

A beautiful, sound, freshly polished unsigned tanto with a trim bō-hi; a splendid itame-and-mokume ground; and an ideal mounting of horn-fitted shirasaya and gold double habaki. Whether as a first step into a collection or as a piece to grace a quiet hour of appreciation, it is a cherishable tanto we can recommend with confidence.

Specifications

• Type: Tanto (hira-zukuri), with bō-hi on both faces
• Signature (mei): unsigned (mumei)
• Certification: none
• Period: Mid-Edo period (attributed)
• Jigane: itame mixed with mokume; well forged
• Hamon: gentle notare with ko-gunome, bright ko-nie, ashi and yō
• Blade length (nagasa): 24.2 cm / 9.53 in (about 8 sun)
• Curvature (sori): 0 cm (mu-sori)
• Width at base (motohaba): 28.8 mm
• Thickness at base (motokasane): 6.4 mm
• Weight (blade only): 190 g
• Condition: freshly polished, essentially flawless, very sound
• Mounting: horn-fitted (tsunotsuki) shirasaya with water-buffalo-horn koiguchi and kurikata; gold double habaki (niju-habaki) with slanted shigure-yasuri file-work
• Torokushō (Japanese registration) No.: Fukuoka 98782