A STURDY KATANA, the blade honzukuri, iorimune, extended chugissaki and toriizori, itame hada and midare hamon with midare komi boshi and ubu nakago inscribed Mito ju Norikatsu (or Tokukatsu) saku, and dated Ansei rokunen (1859) hachigatsu no hi, 74.9 cm. long; with brown and black ishimeji-nuri saya, the iron kojiri inlaid with a brass dragonfly, the gilt menuki formed as a spray of chrysanthemums and cloves, the shakudo-rimmed iron fuchi-kashira decorated with a wasp and its nest and a spider on a tiger-lily in iroe takazogan, the iron tsuba with an eagle stooping on a monkey in shishaibori (overcleaned), signed Jusei (or Toshimasa)