Until 1st May, 2026
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A SUPERB BLACK LACQUER KATANA KOSHIRAE WITH SOLID GOLD FITTINGS
Lot 144 - JPN1225
Japan, late 19th century
The fittings of solid gold, superbly worked in nanako (ring-punched ground), finely decorated in relief with crickets perched on reeds amid autumnal plants including kikyo (bellflower), kiku (chrysanthemum), hagi (bushclover), and obana (eulalia), comprising a tsuba of marugata form, with kogai and kozuka hitsu-ana, fuchi-kashira, and menuki, the roiro-lacquered saya with en suite kurikata and kaeritsuno, the tsuka of black samegawa (rayskin).
LENGTH 101.5 cm (total), WEIGHT (total) 765 g
Gold testing indicates a minimum purity of 18K
WEIGHT of the gold tsuba 308 grams
Testing has indicated a minimum purity of 18 karat for the gold tsuba, weighing 308 grams (approximately worth €26,000 as of 26 October 2025).
Condition: Excellent condition with only minor wear.
Provenance: Bonhams London, Fine Japanese Art, 15 May 2014, lot 194 (sold for GBP 15,000 or approx. EUR 27,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). The Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani Foundation, acquired from the above. Saoud bin Mohammed Ali Al-Thani (1966-2014) was a Qatari prince who served as minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage. By the turn of the 21st century, Sheikh Saoud had established an international reputation as an avid art collector, both for his own collection as well as those of several state-owned museums he oversaw in Qatar. Sheikh Saoud’s legacy as a collector is remarkable, as he laid the foundations of the major collections of Qatar Museums. In 2021, the Museum of Islamic Art hosted an exhibition in tribute to the legendary collector, titled A Falcon's Eye: Tribute to Sheikh Saoud Al-Thani.
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