Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Gendaitō of April 1915 signed by Hayama Enshin, with a kijimomo-gata tang and a single mekugi-ana, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon, shirasaya and koshirae.
Jōunsai Hayama Enshin was born in Edo in 1845 and learned the craft from Suzuki Masao, a pupil of Kiyomaro. He was among the best-regarded smiths of the Meiji and Taishō eras, with one distinctive trait: instead of tamahagane he worked Swiss carbon steel, a material he was held to master better than anyone. He was known for his utsushi of celebrated blades, among them works by Awataguchi Kuniyoshi. This katana is signed and dated April of Taishō 4 (1915), in Musashi, present-day Tokyo. It measures 71.1 cm nagasa with 1.4 cm sori. The tang is kijimomo-gata — “pheasant thigh” — its abrupt step clearly visible in the photographs, in original unshortened form and with a single mekugi-ana. It comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate, shirasaya and koshirae, and the photographs show the whole ensemble in very good order.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon on a blade made in 1915, an uncommon combination
- Signed and dated April of Taishō 4 (1915)
- Kijimomo-gata tang, an archaic and rarely seen shape, with one mekugi-ana
- Enshin descends from the Kiyomaro line through his teacher Suzuki Masao
- 71.1 cm nagasa, a practical length, with a shirasaya for storage besides the koshirae
Points to bear in mind
- This is a Taishō-era gendaitō, not an antique Edo-period or earlier blade
- Blade forged with Western carbon steel rather than tamahagane, according to the original seller
- The originating seller gives no detail on the state of the polish
- The mounting is described but not dated
Score
118 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
−25
The original seller declares flaws 0 · small kitae-ware, away from the edge −5 · black rust (kuro-sabi) −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
+5
Modern or replacement mounting +15 · rewrapped ito −5 · new sageo −5
-
Blade
+10
71.1 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+28
Price: the more affordable, the more points +28
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
- 71.1 cm
- Sori
- 1.4 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hayama Enshin
- Period
- Gendaitō (from 1876)
- Dating
- 4th month of Taishō 4 (1915)
- Province
- Tokio (Musashi)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Minor flaws declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing