Edo period (1615-1868), 17th century Of hirazukuri, iorimune configuration forged in running ko-itame hada with prominent jinie, the tempered edge gunome midare in nie with sunagashi and tobiyaki ending in a ko-maru boshi with a long return, the omote side carved with koshibi and the ura with gomabashi, the ubu tang with one hole and o-sujikai file marks, with a one-piece copper habaki, 16in (40.6cm) long, in a wood shirasaya storage scabbard The aikuchi goshirae comprising a black-lacquer saya ribbed at each end and decorated in the center in rogin-nuri and fitted with a loop kurikata and large russet-iron kozuka decorated with a dragon on a ken in takabori and highlighted in gold nunomezogan, the tsuka wrapped in black-lacquered leather and fitted with matching russet-iron fuchi-gashira with dragons in takabori and gold nunomezogan, and large menuki formed as stylized coiled dragons decorated in gold nunomezogan With Kantei certificate no. 14216, issued by the Nihon Token Hozon Kai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword) attributing this sword to Naka Kunisuke, dated October 12, 1997 With Kantei certificate no. 4744 issued by the Nihon Token Hozon Kai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword), dated October 12, 1997, for the koshirae