Kantei

NH-0017 Rank 65

Ishidō Fujiwara Korekazu

石堂藤原是一精鍛之

Seventh-generation Korekazu of Edo, rated jōjō-saku, with bō-hi on both sides, an ubu tang holding a single hole and a sayagaki by Hon'ami Mitsumago dated 1953.

Shintō (1596-1780)19th centuryEdoNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Nephew of Ishidō Unju Korekazu and known as Masatarō, he succeeded as the seventh-generation Korekazu in Edo. No blades of his are known after the sword-wearing ban; he died on 24 November 1891, aged 75. He is rated jōjō-saku and worked in Bizen-den and Sōshū-den, above all in Sōden-Bizen. The blade, signed 石堂藤原是一精鍛之, measures 70.3 cm nagasa and 1.5 cm sori, with 2.94 cm motohaba, 0.59 cm kasane and 580 g; it carries bō-hi on both sides and a slightly elongated kissaki. The hada is a clean, well-forged ko-itame; the hamon a suguha leaning to nioi-deki with scattered ko-ashi, in the manner of a copy of an older blade (kotō utsushi); the bōshi is round with a double line. Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana and a one-piece gold habaki. A sayagaki by Hon'ami Mitsumago, dated January 1953, attributes it to Edo Ishidō Korekazu. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. The koshirae has a black-lacquered saya bearing a family crest, an iron mokkō-gata tsuba with animals and plum in high relief with gold inlay, iron fuchi-kashira and shakudō menuki with a tool motif and gold inlay. Shirasaya included.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
  • Sayagaki by Hon'ami Mitsumago dated January 1953
  • Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana and a one-piece gold habaki
  • Black saya with a family crest and an iron mokkō tsuba with gold high relief
  • Bō-hi on both sides over a clean ko-itame, with suguha and scattered ko-ashi
  • Shirasaya included

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller declares a rusted area on the mune, which would call for a polish to put right
  • The signature carries no date
  • The original seller himself notes that utsuri is scarce and the hamon somewhat stiff for a copy of Kagemitsu's work
  • The koshirae has no tōsōgu papers of its own

Score breakdown

60.6/100

The score shares out 100 points: Signature and date 18 · Tang 22 · Mounting 18 · Declared condition 20 · Blade 8 · Shirasaya 4 · Price 10. 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).

  1. Signature and date 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
  2. Tang 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
  3. Mounting 3 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · with a family crest (mon)
  4. Declared condition 8 of 20 Localised flaw declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 70.3 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 5.6 of 10 Rank 62 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest