NA 2026.012
Last revised
Nihontō · Tantō · Koshirae
Mumei Tantō Study I
無銘短刀 · 拵
Period unrecorded · not established
An unsigned 20.0 cm tantō in a red-flecked black lacquer aikuchi koshirae with nanako-ground fuchi, kashira and kojiri, retaining its kozuka and kogatana; two mekugi-ana, and a habaki that will not draw off.
AttributionMumei · unattributed · 無銘Unsigned; no attribution is proposed and no appraisal paper accompanies the blade
- Nagasa
- 20.0 cm
- Nakago
- Two mekugi-ana
- Condition
- Old polish · unpapered
Object record
Overview
Object record
- Item
- Tantō (短刀) in aikuchi-style koshirae with kozuka
- Mei
- None · 無銘
- Nagasa
- 20.0 cm
- Sori
- 0.0 cm
- Width
- Motohaba 2.3 cm
- Kasane
- Motogasane 0.6 cm
- Mekugi-ana
- Two · both nakago faces photographed
- Habaki
- Copper · the source states it will not come off
- Period
- Unrecorded · no appraisal paper supplied
Condition record
- Photographs
- Twenty-one archival photographs · no video
- Documents
- No registration card, NBTHK/NTHK paper, or other certificate shown
- Completeness
- Kozuka and kogatana present; sageo present
Photographic record
Plates · 21
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
5 plates
Plate IV.1 · 拵・全体
Ensemble with
Everything the lot contains in one frame: the mounted blade, the red-flecked black lacquer with its brown , and the with its withdrawn and laid above.
Plate IV.2 · 拵・全体
, housed
The mounting closed. The lacquer is black with a dense red fleck through it; a dark horn carries the brown , and the meets the flush in the aikuchi manner with no guard standing proud.
Plate IV.3 · 拵・全体
in the
The alone with the seated in its fitted pocket, its decorated face flush against the lacquer. This is the arrangement in which the is carried.
Plate IV.4 · 拵・全体
Drawn beside the
The blade drawn and laid alongside its , giving the proportion of the 20 cm blade to the mounting and showing the in its pocket at the same scale.
Plate IV.5 · 拵・全体
Blade mounted · first face
The blade assembled in its hilt: copper , dark seated tight against the , and brown ito over white same with the showing through the wrap.
II
Sugata & Nakago
姿・茎
11 plates
Plate II.1 · 姿・茎
Mounted · second face
The mounted blade from the other side. A soft undulating boundary between bright and dark areas is visible along the blade even at this scale.
Plate II.2 · 姿・茎
Full · first face
Full length out of the hilt. Nagasa 20.0 cm with no and a substantial 0.6 cm kasane (measurements per the source description). The copper remains in place on the , and two are visible in the tang.
Plate II.3 · 姿・茎
Full · second face
Full length on the second face, again with no inscription anywhere on the tang. The tang tapers evenly and ends in a blunt angled jiri.
Plate II.4 · 姿・茎
· first face
The tang at close range: two of similar diameter set close together, uniform dark brown patina with lighter scuffing, and no trace of an inscription.
Plate II.5 · 姿・茎
· second face
The reverse of the tang, unsigned, with the same two holes and a rounded-off jiri. File marks are not resolved under the patina.
Plate II.6 · 姿・茎
, edge-on
The photographed from the mune, where its wrapped seam is visible as a fine line. This is the fitting the source reports will not draw off.
Plate II.7 · 地刃
Surface · above the
Immediately above the . A bright band follows the edge and meets a dark grey upper area along a soft, slightly undulating line. Whether that line is a is left for examination in hand.
Plate II.8 · 地刃
Surface · toward the point
The forward half of the blade. The boundary keeps a fairly even width and continues into the point without an obvious break; small reddish points sit in the darker ground.
Plate II.9 · 地刃
Surface · near the
Near the under a cooler reflection, which lifts the dark area and shows fine scratching across the flat.
Plate II.10 · 地刃
Point · dark exposure
The point under a darker exposure, where the and the outline of the tip read clearly against the ground. The tip is intact.
Plate II.11 · 地刃
Point, near-edge-on
A near-edge-on record of the point, showing the thickness carried forward on a 0.6 cm kasane blade and the clean line of the back edge.
III
Koshirae Fittings
拵金具
5 plates
Plate III.1 · 拵金具
, &
The dismounted fittings: the wrapped in brown ito over white same, a dark plate with a cut through it and copper fitted in the , and two plain oval copper .
Plate III.2 · 拵金具
, &
The from the other side. Two figural sit under the wrap — one dark, one with copper and gold colouring — and the and share a dense punched ground with a raised rim.
Plate III.3 · 拵金具
& mouth
The mouth and the 's photographed together, showing the fitted apertures and the standing proud of its pocket at the mouth of the scabbard.
Plate III.4 · 拵金具
&
The and the side by side. Both carry the same dense punched ground within a plain raised border, which ties the scabbard end to the hilt fittings as one program.
Plate III.5 · 拵金具
&
The with its in place. The handle is a copper alloy worked in relief with a long bundled motif on a textured ground; the blade is heavily rusted along its whole length.
Photographs courtesy of GN-1-Japan, used with permission.
Revision history
- Catalogue record established from the ended listing and its 21 gallery photographs.