Naga Maru Gata (oval), Maru Mimi (rounded) border, Kuyōmon 九曜紋 pattern, with large Kogai and Kozuka Ana.

• Material: Copper, smoky black finish
• Dimensions: 76 mm x 72 mm x 4.5 mm
• Weight: 120 g

The Kuyōmon 九曜紋 motif is the coat of arms of the Hosokawa clan that ruled Higo Prefecture, now Kumamoto Prefecture. This domain was given to them by Tokugawa Ieyasu after the Battle of Sekigahara.
This cosmogonic Mon, from the 'Navagraha' of Hindu mythology, represents 9 planets, 7 of which correspond to the days of the week/planets (Monday/Moon, Tuesday/Mars, Wednesday/Mercury, Thursday/Jupiter, Friday/Venus, Saturday/Saturn, Sunday/Sun), to which are added Ragou 羅睺 and Keito 計都.

The name Hirata 平田 refers to the Tsuba style of the Hirata school of artisan lineage from Higo Province in Kyushu. This was founded by Hirata Hikozo 平田彦三 at the beginning of the 17th century. Hikozo was a craftsman who worked in the service of Tadaoki Hosokawa, lord of Higo province.
This is a school that has its origins in the Shoami 正阿弥 school, a school where we also find this type of Sukashi openings in scattered holes. With the Hayashi, Nishigaki and Shimizu schools, they represent the 4 major schools of decorative parts of swords in the former Higo province, today Kumamoto. These schools were nicknamed 'Higo Kinko'.