Exceptional Circa 1900 Heirloom Japanese Flag Officer Kyu-Gunto Naval Sword Wakizashi, with horimono and Ando Family mon

A gorgeous Japanese naval sword mounted in the Model 1896 Flag Officer fittings of superb quality in basically perfect condition, retaining all the original finish. The lacquered rayskin scabbard has no losses at all.

The white same covering on the grip is also in superb condition and the sword retains its original flag officer level sword knot. The grip has the mon of the Ando family on the backstrap.

The blade is an ancestral wakizashi blade retaining its original old polish, with a chiseled horimono inscription on both sides of the blade which has an interesting form of thickend cross section near the base and thenbecomes thinner near the middle of the bladesuntil it thickens out at the tip.

The habaki is one of the nicest I've seen and was clearly made en suite for this blade and for the naval officer who carried this sword, and indicates a crashing wave, reminiscent of the finest Japanese woodcuts byKatsushika Hokusai, specifically the The Great Wave off Kanagawa, pictured near the bottom of the images.

Overall length is 35, blade cutting edge is 20.