Japanese Katana Sword Signed By Ryuginsai Hirotsuna, Dated 1863 - Nbthk Hozon Certificate.

JAPAN - 1863 (the third year of the Bunkyu era).
Samurai katana.
FUSHI and KASHIRA silver suite featuring a Kachimushi dragonfly ("winning insect" that moves only forward and never backward, testifying to the samurai's own Futaiten spirit).Wooden TSUKA covered with ray skin and brown silk braid.
MENUKIS in silvered and gilded copper featuring dragonflies.
TSUBA mokko-gata in wrought iron and inlaid with silvered and gilded copper featuring dragonflies under paulownia leaves.
SAYA in brown lacquered wood using the mushi-nori technique, in which impressions of grains of rice are made on lacquer then applied with gold leaf.
HABAKI simple in gilded copper decorated with horizontal striations.
Straight blade, regular hamon, straight and well marked, the silk is holed twice and signed Ryuginsai Hirotsuna, in 1863, the third year of the Bunkyu era, at the age of 70.
Sold with the stand, its silk case for transport and its certificate NBTHK Hozon. NBTHK also known as Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai (the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword), is one of the oldest Japanese sword evaluation organizations in modern Japan.
Dimensions: 104 x 8 x 8 cm.
Blade length with tang: 93 cm.
Edge length: 70.7 cm.
Curvature (sori): 1.2 cm.

Notes : The fact that this blade was produced at such an advanced age suggests a work created at the peak of the smith's long career, reflecting decades of accumulated skill and experience. Swords forged at this late stage in a smith's life are often considered particularly valuable for their insight into the smith's fully developed technique and artistic sensibility. Moreover, the Bunkyu era was a period of political instability at the end of the Edo period, when demand for functional and reliable swords increased.