A Bizen wakizashi with impressive mountsThe sword by Bizen Munetsugu (active 1864-1865), the fittings by Hagiya Katsuhira (1804-1886)
Edo period (1615-1868) and Meiji era (1868-1912, dated 1864 and 1871
The blade honzukuri, iorimune, toriizori with an extended tip, forged in ko-itame hada and with a suguha temper in nie with ko-ashi and an o-maru boshi, the omote side carved with a dragon chasing a flaming pearl and the ura side with a hoko, the ubu tang with kiri file marks and two holes, signed Bizen no suke Fujiwara Munetsugu and dated Ganji gannen sangatsu hi (A day in the 3rd month of 1864), with a one-piece gilt-copper habaki, 21 1/2in (54.4cm) long

The 19th-century mounts comprising a black-lacquer saya mounted with matching silver fittings with gold takazogan decorated with tigers in bamboo, including an extended sayajiri with a tiger by rocks and a stream under a grove of bamboo, the cat's stipes highlighted in gilt, a kurikata wrapping around the saya and carved with a tiger on a rock, and a koiguchi with clouds and bamboo leaves, dated Meiji yon kanoto-hitsuji chushun kore o horu (Carved in February, 1871), fitted with a kozuka with a copper and silver handle decorated with waves in kebori, the tsuka fitted with a fuchi carved as a snarling tiger by a rushing waterfall, signed Seiryoken Hagiya Katsuhira gyonen rokuju hachi (Seiryoken Hagiya Katsuhira at age 68) and with a kao, and a kashira with a crouching tiger, signed Katsuhira and with a kao, the large gold and shakudo menuki formed as tigers, the russet-iron plate tsuba with a tiger on rocks among bamboo, looking down at a rushing waterfall in iro-e takazogan signed Mito no ju Hagiya Katsuhira (Hagiya Katsuhira of Mito), with a kao and dated Meiji yon kanoto-hitsuji chuto (November, 1871)