Edo period, 19th century
The red-lacquer saya designed with noh masks and combs in iroe takamakie and hiramakie, the kuri-gata, kaeshi-zuno and kojiri all decorated with Imagawa family crests in gold lacquer, the tsuka mounted with copper fuchi-gashira designed as a nose and mouth and with a pair of menuki designed as eyes rendered in copper, silver, shakudo and enamel, the copper tsuba cast and carved to resemble ears
38in (96.4cm) long
FOOTNOTES
Provenance:
Imagawa family, by repute