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THREE KEN
A ken, the blade, tsurugi-zukuri with itame-masame hada, komidare hamon and suriage nakago, mumei, Edo Period (19th Century), 22.5/8in. (57.5cm.), in a black lacquer scabbard with a stylised cloud design, the mounts of gilt metal, the tsuka formed as a dragon's head and neck, the tsuba as a dragon's claw and the ishizuki as a dragon's tail; Another, the blade of typical ken form with short grooves, the details obscured, ubu nakago, mumei, Edo Period (17th Century), 13in. (33.5cm.), in a scabbard covered in russet iron with traces of dragons in silver nunome zogan, the hilt of silvered copper in the form of a vajra engraved with thunderclouds; and another, the blade, hoso-suguha hamon, suriage nakago, mumei, late Nambokucho/early Muromachi Period (14/15th Century), 9in. (24cm.), in a brown lacquered carved wood hilt and scabbard, the latter formed as lotus stems, flowers and buds, probably Edo Period (18th Century) (3)

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