This is a complete antique wakizashi koshirae housing a wooden tsunagi blade, preserving the fittings and overall mount structure from a functioning Edo-period sidearm. The koshirae is cohesive and appealing, with each component showing honest age and patination. The overall impression is of a piece that has seen long handling but remains structurally sound, suitable for study or restoration.
The koshirae fittings are of iron and mixed metal construction. The tsuba, a standout part of the ensemble, is a beautiful circular iron plate carved in low relief with a radiating sunburst pattern extending outward from the nakago-ana, a motif symbolizing clarity and vitality. The surface has a dark, stable patina with minor oxidation in the recesses. The fuchi and kashira are of matching iron with incised scrolling designs, softened with time yet still clear. The kashira shows a simple engraved floral pattern on its face, while the fuchi bears a lively depiction of a rabbit over waves, likely a reference to the hare of Inaba, a classic folktale lionized in wartime Japan. The menuki are of a chocolatey dark copper, their forms difficult to discern under the wrap, appearing to be schools of fish with scaley carved skin leaping over one another. The tsuka is wrapped in golden-brown silk ito in hineri-maki style over paneled samegawa made to appear to be a full wrap with a seam along the ura. The ito is intact but frayed in places, particularly near the mekugi-ana, where the peg hole is visible. The saya (scabbard) is of black lacquer, worn with age, showing areas of loss and small cracks but retaining its original form. Altogether, the fittings harmonize in an earthy and quietly dignified manner, displaying Edo-period craftsmanship without excessive ornamentation, showing a set of fittings that served out its life on a working blade.
