A Japanese su-yari, Edo period, with long leaf-section blade, blade length 56cm, finely signed to two faces, the long tang with single hole piercing and finely signed to two faces, mounted on an oak shaft, the upper grip sections of deep lacquered textured form, with fine textured-finish copper and part-gilt-finished collars, the upper fuchi with household mon, the shaft also mounted with iron hadome and hirumaki terminal, overall length 259cm. Provenance: the collection of the late Roald Knutsen (1933-2025); purchased Portobello 1959 for £1 6s. Note: illustrated in ‘Japanese Polearms’ by Roald M. Knutsen, The Holland Press, London: 1963, page 208, plate 53. Roald Knutsen identified the signature as Suishinshi Naotani and noted that the tang was inscribed ‘Shoji Chikuzen No Daijo Fuji 9 ( Wara) (No) Naotane Saku’ (A Day in the Month 2nd of Tempo 14 1843), and that he was an important smith of the early 19th century.