Q679. Tachi with paper to Kozori School and sayagaki to Kozori Iyemori. The sword is dated Meitoku Ni Nen Shichi Gatsu Hi (a day in July of 1391) and a mei, most likely, was removed from the tachi omote.

Nagasa: 27 5/8″ 70 cm.

Sori: 2 cm.

Moto haba: 2.9 cm.

Moto kasane: .7 cm.

Saki haba: 1.6 cm.

Saki kasane: .3 cm.

Nakago nagasa: 6″ 14.8 cm.

Overall in shirasaya: 37 5/8″ 95.7 cm.

Overall in koshirae: 42 3/4″ 108.8 cm.

Shinogi zukuri, strong koshi zori, iore mune, small kissaki. The hada is itame with mokume and areas of nagare: larger, more prominent grain which is typical of Kozori work. Some of the nagare steps over the line into coarse grain. There is faint utsuri. The hamon is compact ko-choji midare, nioi guchi with ko-nie, with sunagashi, kinsuji, ashi, and other hataraki. The boshi is undulating, ending in a swept ko maru with a very short kaeri. The blade is in polish and, other than the coarse grain, flawless. It comes with a gold foil and shakudo habaki in a well made shirasaya. There is a Tokubetsu Hozon paper from the NBTHK inl Tokyo, dated 1997 and giving the work to Kozori. There is a sayagaki by, I have been told, a prominent sword scholar Toudo Hironoshin, living in the Hosokawa residence in Kyoto. He gives the work to Kozori Iyemori.

The itomaki no dachi koshirae is beautiful and in immaculate condition; I can’t find any problems to warn you about. All shakudo and all en suite. The tsuba is dated Kaei 4: 1851; best guess is that this date will work for the whole koshirae. Not much more to say about it that my photos can’t tell you. There is a Tokubetsu Hozon paper for the koshirae, dated 1999; I haven’t had this translated.

The Kozori School worked in Osafune of Bizen Province, at the end of the Nambokucho period. Their work differs from that of mainline Bizen Osafune in that it usually had a stronger sori, a more compact hamon, nagare hada, and other details that this sword fits perfectly. 4 pounds, 12 ounces. $14,750.