A fine and elegant Japanese naginata, Edo period, with single-edged blade, blade length 37.5cm, with deep-grooved fuller, picked out with red lacquer, and curved part-length shinogi with finely executed cut and chiselled ryu (dragon) clawing his way along the face of the blade, the opposing side with tama jewel, the signed tang with single hole piercing and fine brass habaki with engraved mon of the Maida clan, mounted on a fine three-section lacquered shaft with fine wide-section copper metal mounts with embossed decoration of interspaced gilt flowerheads, the grip section with crushed abalone shell and cord-bound collar and further interspaced black painted flowerhead mon along the shaft, the steel hirumaki terminal of crescent form, overall length 218cm, the blade with wood and lacquer flowerhead-decorated scabbard. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025); purchased from John Harding, 21st June 1962, for £4. Note: illustrated in ‘Japanese Polearms’ by Roald M. Knutsen, The Holland Press, London: 1963, page 120 , plate 9. Roald Knutsen identified the signature as Kuniyoshi, late 17th century.