NA 2026.011
Last revised
Nihontō · Tantō · Koshirae
Tantō Signed Gassan
短刀 · 月山銘
Period unrecorded · not established
An unpapered 19.6 cm hira-zukuri tantō in a black-lacquer aikuchi-style koshirae, carrying a worn short mei read in the source as Gassan; a regular undulating grain is visible along the blade.
AttributionGassan · mei as read · 月山（銘）Short worn signature; the source reads it as Gassan and the second character supports that, but the remaining characters are not resolved and no generation or maker is asserted
- Nagasa
- 19.6 cm
- Sori
- 0.0 cm
- Mei
- 月山 · partly legible
Object record
Overview
Object record
- Item
- Tantō (短刀) in black-lacquer koshirae
- Mei
- Short, worn · read in the source as Gassan
月山（銘・磨滅） - Nagasa
- 19.6 cm
- Sori
- 0.0 cm · muzori
- Width
- Motohaba 2.5 cm
- Kasane
- Motogasane 0.4 cm
- Construction
- Hira-zukuri · no shinogi or yokote
- Mekugi-ana
- One · both nakago faces photographed
- Period
- Unrecorded · no appraisal paper supplied
Condition record
- Photographs
- Eighteen archival photographs · no video
- Documents
- No registration card, NBTHK/NTHK paper, or other certificate shown
Photographic record
Plates · 18
Available views arranged as a comparative object study; descriptions distinguish observation from documentary attribution.
Click underlined specialist terms for concise notes and construction diagrams.
IV
Koshirae & Ensemble
拵・全体
3 plates
Plate IV.1 · 拵・全体
Ensemble, drawn
The blade laid beside its mounting. The is plain glossy black lacquer with a black cord tied around it through a low ; the is wrapped in a fine cream-and-black lozenge pattern over white same and closed with a black horn .
Plate IV.2 · 拵・全体
, housed
The mounting closed. The meets the without a visible guard standing proud of the profile, giving the aikuchi-style line of a companion dagger mounting.
Plate IV.3 · 拵・全体
Blade mounted
The blade assembled in its hilt, showing the gilt , the small dark seated tight against the , and the proportion of a 19.6 cm blade to its mounting.
II
Sugata & Nakago
姿・茎
12 plates
Plate II.1 · 姿・茎
Full · face
Full length on the face carrying the inscription. Nagasa 19.6 cm with no at all and 0.4 cm kasane (measurements per the source description). The section is hira-zukuri throughout, and the tang tapers to a rounded end.
Plate II.2 · 姿・茎
Full · reverse
Full length on the reverse, which carries no inscription. The undulating longitudinal figure in the steel is visible here at full-blade scale as a series of soft repeating bands.
Plate II.3 · 姿・茎
·
The tang with one and a short column of characters cut below it. The strokes are shallow and largely eaten by corrosion; one character reads convincingly as 山, and the others are not recoverable at this resolution. The source transcribes the whole as “Gassan Masa” in romaji only.
Plate II.4 · 姿・茎
The tang end, rounded in a kurijiri-like curve. Patina is dark and mottled with green-black and rust tones; file marks are not resolved.
Plate II.5 · 姿・茎
Mune &
The back edge photographed along its length, showing the bright polished mune giving way to the dark tang at a clean step.
Plate II.6 · 地刃
Surface · undulating grain
The clearest record of the blade's figure: a repeating wavy pattern runs lengthwise across the whole width, regular in period and consistent from one face to the other. It is described here as observed. Whether it is ayasugi- in the steel or an artefact of an old polish is left for examination in hand.
Plate II.7 · 地刃
Surface · above the
Just above the . Small white deposits sit on the flat alongside dark specks and short scratches; the wavy figure continues under them.
Plate II.8 · 地刃
Surface · bright reflection
The same region under a stronger reflection, which flattens the figure and shows the notch at the frame edge. Retained as part of the complete gallery record.
Plate II.9 · 地刃
Surface · toward the point
Toward the point, where a broad bright band crosses the flat and the darker ground resumes beyond it. Fine pitting is visible along the lower edge of the frame.
Plate II.10 · 地刃
Point · first face
The point on the first face. With no on a hira-zukuri blade the surface runs uninterrupted into the tip; the is full and the outline undamaged.
Plate II.11 · 地刃
Point · second face
The point on the second face, where a bright band follows the edge into the tip and a small rust patch sits at the extreme point.
Plate II.12 · 地刃
Point, near-edge-on
A near-edge-on record of the same point, showing how thin the section runs out at the tip on a 0.4 cm kasane blade.
III
Koshirae Fittings
拵金具
3 plates
Plate III.1 · 拵金具
· first face
The off the blade: one piece of gilt copper alloy, plain, with a stepped upper edge and lengthwise working marks across the face.
Plate III.2 · 拵金具
· second face
The reverse of the , showing the same plain gilt surface and the seating step that bears against the .
Plate III.3 · 拵金具
, &
The dismounted fittings: a small dark iron of lobed outline with three small gold accents around the and traces of surface carving, a plain oval copper , and the wrapped in a tight cream-and-black lozenge pattern over white same. Dark with gold highlights sit under the wrap, and the black and carry small gold inlaid details.
Photographs courtesy of GN-1-Japan, used with permission.
Revision history
- Catalogue record established from the ended listing and its 18 gallery photographs; the worn mei and the visible longitudinal grain are both recorded as observations.