Horimono Shinto Wakizashi

[Tengu1957]

Wide Shinto Wakizashi with Dragon Horimono
Sagami No Kami KaneYasu
53 cm long , 3.5 cm wide 
A wide and heavy Ubu sword made around 1660 Kanbun
Horimono is deeply cut dragon chasing the pearl and other protective Horimono on the reverse 
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
This is one of the widest Wakizashi I have seen from this period.

Many thanks to Nick Ricupero for selling this to me

[Bryce]

G'day Gary,

Thanks for sharing this. Looking at the amount of work that must be involved in carving a nice horimono, I have often wondered how the addition of a horimono affects the value of a blade. Recently I came across an article by Markus Sesko where he addresses this question. He presents an invoice from the renowned shinshinto smith Chounsai Tsunatoshi where he charges more for the addition of horimono than he does for the forging of the blade. In this case the addition of horimono basically doubles the price of the blade.

Cheers,

Bryce

Breakdown of price for sword blade | Markus Sesko

[Tengu1957]

Bryce

Thanks for the link. I believe it holds true even today that a sword with extensive horimono doubles the price of a sword without horimono if the same quality.