This is an exquisite tanto that has beautiful activity and is very well made.  It is from the shin-shinto era around the 1700’s and accompanied with NBTHK papers attributing it to a Jumyo swordsmith and also attesting to its quality. The blade has a horimono though polished down a bit of a “So No Kurikara” or Dragon wrapped around a ken. Also there is a long and short so-hi. The hamon is gunome midare with crab claw like shapes throughout and it has many hataraki.  The shape is elegant and well balanced.   The hada is very rich and profoundly active.  The mounts are an exquisite and also very interesting and attractive with its original old fittings that are also dating back to the shin-shinto era. The Ito is a dark blue as well as the Sageo. The habaki is shakudo and the saya is partially ribbed with a fine lacquer finish. The lacquer is of ishime style in a bluish grey color. The tsuba is a Heianjo style with gold accents and the fuchi /kashira have small snowflake like designs. The menuki are of a cricket. The kodzuka is signed in gold and with Kao. The design is of a cannon. A rare treat. The mounts are also papered by the NBTHK. This beautiful sword is even more interesting when viewing in hand.  A fine collectable sword.

Information on JUMYO:
JUMYO(Toshinaga) 寿命 school, it’s founder was born in Seki town, Mino province in Tensho 8 (1580), real name was Kondo Sukezaemon 近藤助左衛門. He had moved to Kiyosu castle town during Keicho(1596-1614) period and the enjoyed Tango-no-kami 丹後守 title in Kanei 2 (1625). JUMYO school had been prospered in 5 generations during Edo period under the patronage of Owari Tokugawa clans. JUMYO(Toshinaga) 寿命, it exactly means [happy long life] so that most of Samurais treasured JUMYO works.