Samurai Katana - Early Edo Period (1603-1868).

JAPAN - Edo period (1603 - 1868). Samurai Katana. FUSHI - KASHIRA en suite, in engraved, patinated and gilded copper depicting a praying mantis and a grasshopper among flowers on a nanako background. TSUKA in wood covered with ray skin, braided with brown silk. MENUKIS in engraved and gilded copper depicting a rooster and a hen. TSUBA sukashi in wrought iron, openwork and inlaid with gold, depicting leafy scrolls, signed. SAYA in glossy black lacquered wood. HABAKI in copper openwork with a circle (mon of the Kato Kiyomasa clan). Straight blade, regular hamon, straight and well marked, the tang pierced once, bearing a long signature on both sides; “ECHIZEN JU HARIMA DAIO FUJIWARA SHIGE TAKA (3rd generation - 1681) O MOTE NANBAN TETSU KUROGANE SAN SHOKU SAKU KORE”. Dimensions: 94 x 8 x 8 cm. Length of the blade: 75 cm. Notes: TAKASUGI SHINSAKU famous samurai of the Bakumatsu period had a SHIGETAKA blade and two SHIGE TAKA blades are today kept at the British Museum.