Hana Ichimatsu Tanto (花市松) – Floral Checkerboard

Hana Ichimatsu (花市松): the floral checkerboard

The ichimatsu is the Japanese checkerboard pattern, named after Sanogawa Ichimatsu, an eighteenth-century kabuki actor who wore a checked costume. It symbolises prosperity and continuity, the pattern extending infinitely in every direction.

This tanto brings it together with flowers (hana): a checkerboard-pierced tsuba punctuated with small cherry blossoms, relief sakura on the fuchi and kashira, and chrysanthemums painted across the saya.

A hira-zukuri blade in hammered damascus steel

The blade is crafted in damascus steel, formed by layering and folding multiple sheets of steel. The light and dark grey damascus pattern is visible across its surface.

It follows a hira-zukuri geometry (without a longitudinal ridge) and tapers to a small ko-kissaki point. A lighter tsuchime hammered band runs along the edge of the blade, creating a subtle contrast in texture. There is neither hamon nor bo-hi.

A sakura checkerboard mounting

The kakumaru-gata tsuba (square with rounded corners) is crafted in dark-patinated copper with gold plating. It is pierced in an ichimatsu checkerboard pattern, with small sakura blossoms in silhouette (kage-sukashi), and encircled by a rope-motif gilded rim (fukurin). A gilded brass seppa accompanies it.

The blackened copper fuchi bears a frieze of manji and relief sakura with gold-plated highlights, and the kashira carries relief sakura with gilded accents. The handle combines wood with black ray skin beneath a hineri-maki brown tsuka-ito binding, with gilded menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded brass bears a relief chrysanthemum.

A black saya with painted chrysanthemums

The saya is crafted in solid wood, covered in a glossy black roiro-nuri lacquer and painted with ivory chrysanthemums and green leaves highlighted in gold in the maki-e tradition. The koiguchi is in polished amber-brown buffalo horn, and the rounded kojiri (maru-kojiri) is lacquered black. The amber horn kurikata with gilded shitodome receives a black sageo.

Dimensions and handling of the tanto

With a blade of 33 cm and an overall length of 55 cm, the Hana Ichimatsu is a tanto of generous proportions. Its 17 cm handle sits firmly in one hand. At 0.8 kg, it offers a reassuring presence. It measures 57 cm in its saya, a format that places its floral decoration to full advantage on a display stand.