Ryūkō (龍光): the light of the dragon
Ryūkō speaks of the dragon’s radiance, the luminous aura that blazes forth as the creature rises from cloud or water. In Japanese tradition, the dragon is often depicted wreathed in light, an outward sign of its divine nature.
This katana gives that idea form through contrast: a golden dragon gleaming against a dark guard, and above all a black blade through which the hamon emerges in a copper-toned glow, like a light moving through shadow.
A black blade with a genuine copper-toned gunome midare hamon
The blade is forged in T10 steel, a high-carbon steel prized for its hardness and edge retention. Clay tempered, it develops a genuine gunome midare hamon of irregular, rolling waves along the edge.
What sets it apart is its finish: the blade is mirror-polished black, while the hamon has been brought out in a copper-brown tint, a deeply arresting contrast. The geometry follows the classical shinogi-zukuri profile, with a chū-kissaki point, a torii-zori curvature, and a bo-hi groove running the length of the flat.
A buke-zukuri mounting with a golden dragon
The round (maru-gata) tsuba presents a golden dragon in high relief (takabori) against a granulated nanako ground, framed by a wide gilded fukurin and a gilded border. It features a hitsu-ana opening and is flanked by two brass seppa with a fluted edge.
The fuchi in patinated copper is chiselled with waves and clouds on a nanako ground, while the kashira in patinated gilded copper carries an engraved oval cap with a wave-pattern border. The handle combines wood with a white faux ray skin, beneath a hineri-maki burgundy tsuka-ito, with golden dragon menuki. The ichimai habaki in gilded copper is marked with neko-gaki striations.
A high-gloss black saya
The saya is crafted from solid wood and finished in a high-gloss black lacquer. The koiguchi is lacquered in polished black, while the rounded kojiri (maru-kojiri) carries red kawari-nuri spatters, a touch of colour that echoes the burgundy tsuka-ito. The lacquered black kurikata with its gilded shitodome holds a burgundy cotton sageo.
Dimensions and handling
With a blade of 71 cm and an overall length of 103 cm, Ryūkō carries the proportions of a traditional katana. The 26.5 cm handle allows a firm two-handed grip, and at 1.3 kg the balance remains assured throughout. Sheathed, the piece measures 105 cm, a format that shows the black blade to its full advantage.
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