Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō blade from Owari, signed and dated in the second month of Meiji 2 (1869), with a broad ō-kissaki, an ubu tang and a black ishime-lacquered koshirae. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon.
Katana of the Owari tradition (present-day Aichi), signed “Hōki no Kami jūdai-mago Fujiwara Nobutaka”, that is, tenth-generation descendant of Hōki no Kami Nobutaka. The tang also carries the date of the second month of Meiji 2 (1869), so the blade is both signed and dated by its maker. It measures 70.5 cm of nagasa with 1.2 cm of sori and ends in a broad ō-kissaki; the motohaba is 3.22 cm and the blade loses little width towards the point, which makes for a substantial piece in hand. The original seller describes the tang as ubu with a single mekugi-ana, and the blade as polished a few years ago, free of hagire and pitting. It comes mounted in an uchigatana koshirae with a black ishime-lacquered saya that the original seller regards as contemporary with the blade; the same and the tsuka-ito of the hilt were redone last year in the same tone. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers are included. No shirasaya is offered.
Strong points
- Signed and dated in the second month of Meiji 2 (1869)
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana, according to the original seller
- Broad ō-kissaki on a 70.5 cm nagasa
- Uchigatana koshirae with black ishime-lacquered saya, stated to be contemporary with the blade
- Polished a few years ago, free of hagire and pitting, according to the original seller
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers
Points to bear in mind
- The fittings are unsigned and unpapered: the dating of the mounting rests on the original seller's word
- The same and tsuka-ito of the hilt are a recent restoration, not the original wrap
- The blade keeps considerable body towards the point and feels heavy in hand
- A late work, forged already in the Meiji era, and without a shirasaya for storage
Score
201.2 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
+35
Mounting from the same period as the blade +50 · rewrapped ito −5 · washed same −5 · new sageo −5
-
Blade
+10
70.5 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+21.2
Price: the more affordable, the more points +21.2
The score adds and subtracts points for each feature of the piece and has no ceiling: the highest in the catalogue today is 255. It is computed from the record, not from an opinion. The mounting starts from what is known of its period, adds what vouches for it (its own NBTHK paper, a signed fitting, a crest) and subtracts what has been restored (saya, ito, same, habaki or sageo).
Measurements
- Nagasa
- 70.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Period mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Nobutaka
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Meiji 2 (1869)
- Province
- Owari (Aichi)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 32,2 mm
- Sakihaba
- 26,0 mm
- Motokasane
- 6,7 mm
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing