A Meiji period Japanese katana sword featuring an intricately detailed cloisonné enamel scabbard (saya) and matching hilt (tsuka). The 27.5-inch blade is set with an unsigned (mumei) tang featuring four mekugi-ana, measuring 35.25 inches from the tip of the blade to the bottom of the tang. The tsuba displays worn gilding with detailed samurai figurals, complemented by brass or bronze fittings along the scabbard. The scabbard itself has floral, likely lotus, designs, while the tsuka has butterflies. The tsuba is produced in the Soten school and likely dates individually to the Edo period. This was not a sword produced for warfare; rather, it was likely produced during Meiji era restrictions on private sword ownership, when smiths transitioned from making weapons of war to display and government presentation pieces. This katana was likely presented to either a foreign dignitary or domestic political figure by the Meiji court. The katana is accompanied by a red painted wood display rack with a floral, possibly paulownia design.
Condition
Very fine on the blade. The scabbard has had a small repair near the base of the scabbard.