This mounting is of the “imperial guard sword” type. Used by warriors of the imperial palace guard in the Heian period (794–1185), in later ages it was worn ceremonially by men of high-ranking military families on formal occasions.

The scabbard is decorated in the makie lacquer technique, with nine-planet Hosokawa family crests in gold on a sprinkled gold “pear skin” background; variants of the family’s cherry blossom crest adorn the hilt.