Kat-106 Higo Mounted Koto blade

Rare nicely mounted katana done in the Higo style.

Higo koshirae are very appreciated in Japan among collectors. They had a great sense of nature in both the design, as well as the materials used. This mount is very rare as many Same" (rayskin) scabbards have not survived after WW2. But this type of rayskin is an even more special type known as “Botan Same’” or peony blossom patterned rayskin. The appearance of the pattern of the skin looks like the peony flower in bloom, and this type of rayskin comes only on a rare type of ray. Higo koshirae are famous for their use of "Same" for their scabbards, along with leather or doeskin for the tape binding on the handle. By using these materials to make the mount, the mount is more durable in everyday use and wear. There are many Juyo Higo rated mounts with this combination. The fuchi kashira are of top grade shakudo done in the design of breaking waves. The menuki are very high quality either Ko Goto or Ko Kinko with a design of abalone.The tsuba is a nice kiku sukashi design with shakudo plugs for the hitsu ana. The scabbard is all botan rayskin, polished down and lacquered with a matching shakudo wave kojiri. The blade is an old one, definitely from the koto period. It has been shortened, as in the case of many older blades that were adjusted to be mounted into Higomounts. It has a hamon of a small ko notare with some midare. The jigane is a flowing itame masame and in some places there is a little opening., but the blade is old and still in good condition.

Blade koto period

Mount later part of Mid Edo1700’s

Blade cutting edge length 69.6 cm

Unsigned

 

Higo Koshirae