A Most Fine and Impressive Samurai Horseman's Handachi Katana. Shinto Period From the 1600's Around 400 Years Old. Semi Tachi Mounted. Dressed in a Full Suite Of Matching Original Edo Koshirae. Designed To Be Worn & Used In Combat Upon Horseback

Fully leather bound tsuka-ito with iron fuchi and kabuto-gane with gilt edges, soft metal menuki in the form of a Daikyū and Ya, {war bow on one side and arrows on the other}, mokko-shaped signed iron tsuba, and the sword is set in its beautiful, original, Edo period, urushi black lacquer swirling effect, saya with traditional handachi mounts fully en-suite and matching with the tsuka. The blade has a stunning and complex gunome hamon, which in English terms, looks much akin to the surface of waves in choppy seas

Han-dachi originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from Tachi to katana. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been. The handachi is a response to the need to be worn in either style. The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.

Overall in super condition, the saya urushi lacquer is very good to excellent with natural age marks and wear, the blade is similarly excellent for age with natural age wear and small surface pinprick areas. The tsuka-ito is also very good indeed with just one very small area of surface wear near the daikyu bow menuki.

Overall 41 inches long in saya, tsuka 10 1/2 inches long, blade 29 1/2 inches long, tsuba to tip

Code: 26067