Katana Kotone (1060 Carbon Steel)

The kotone is the sound of the koto, the thirteen-stringed horizontal harp that was for centuries the primary instrument of Japanese court ladies. Murasaki Shikibu, author of The Tale of Genji, devotes entire scenes to the music of this instrument. The Katana Kotone gathers that aristocratic world into a replica of musical character.

The 1060 carbon steel blade (nagasa approximately 70 cm, hardness 58–60 HRC) is polished with a satin finish similar to the lacquered surface of an antique koto. The sori curve is gently arched, like the silhouette of a string under tension.

The fittings draw from a noble chamber palette: antique-ivory ito braided over light samegawa, a dark-alloy tsuba with a motif of thirteen parallel lines (a reference to the instrument’s strings), a matte black lacquered saya with gold fillets at each end, and a cream sageo. Habaki in polished brass.

A replica intended for display cases of Japanese traditional music enthusiasts, décor suited to rooms with traditional instruments, or as a gift for someone who plays the koto, biwa, or shamisen. A katana that pairs better with a collection of sheet music than with a collection of weapons.