Sig. Carlo Monzino is an Italian businessman who has collected art of one type or another during most of his adult life.The collection of fittings is wide ranging, with pieces datable to the Muromachi period (1334-1573) up to and including the Meiji period (1868-1912). Most of the major schools are represented, though the Kinko makers (generally from the 18th and 19th centuries) predominate. Particuary worthy of note is a fine range of tsuba and kozuka by various members of the celebrated Goto family, workng from the 16th to the 19th century. While a number of these are unsigned, severlal are by well known family members and include a selection of pieces by pupils of Goto Ichijo (1791-1876), one of the last of the great sword fittings makers. Also included are tsuba and smaller fittings from the Shoami, Kiami, Higo, Choshu, Nara, Hamano, Otzuki, Heianjo, Hirata and Kaga schools, as well as anumber of unattributable pieces.

In addition the collection includes a group fo forty-eight swords with blades ranging from the 15th to 19th centrues. They comprise long and short swords (katana and wakizashi) as well as daggers (tanto). Two blades are mounted as a pair (daisho), while the others are in a wide variety of mounts dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.