This katana is signed “Norimitsu” (則光), a name used by several generations of swordsmiths from the Osafune school in Bizen Province, most active during the early Muromachi period (15th century). The blade measures 53.7 cm in length.
It is mounted in a traditional samurai koshirae that was later adapted for military use during World War II, with the saya covered in leather for battlefield protection. This type of adaptation was commonly seen among officers who carried ancestral or high-quality blades into service.
A well-preserved example of a classical Muromachi-period sword that continued to serve through the tumult of the 20th century.