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The hilt fittings follow the same pattern as the katana, including the elaborately sculpted squid on the fuchi, with a shakudo fish menuki on the right and a copper crustacean on the left. The saya follows a similar pattern to the katana, with a sculpted octopus adorning a more conventional kurikata, 8 1/4 inch shrimp on the tip, and an 8 inch kozuka with handle sculpted to
match the tsuba.
CONDITION: Excellent overall. Both blades show radiant temper lines and mild handling, with the wakizashi showing a bit of subtle nicking on the edge. A few breaks
are present in the cord wrap, and the sayas show mild scuffs and handling. The furniture is in superb condition. An absolutely top notch set of Japanese swords, featuring an extraordinary set of blades and a paired set of fittings that stand out as high art in their own right. Finding single swords furnished better than these would be a struggle, finding a documented daisho set that could beat them on the open market nearly impossible. Provenance: The Robert M. Lee Collection. Estimate: 80,000 - 150,000
Near Impossible to Improve Upon Pair of Japanese Edged Weapons