Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
A special commission signed and dated the seventh day of the fifth month of Meireki 2 (1656), with visible mune-yaki, an ichimai bōshi and a han-tachi koshirae with tiger menuki.
The Mizuta school of Bitchū begins around 1521 and descends from the line of Ōtsuki Yogorō Kunishige, a leading name of shintō-period Sōshū-den. This blade, signed 備中水田国重作 (Bitchū Mizuta Kunishige saku), carries an individual signature and a date — Meireki 2, fifth month, seventh day (1656) — and was made as a special commission. It measures 69.6 cm nagasa and 1.5 cm sori, with 2.85 cm motohaba and 2.19 cm sakihaba: little difference between moto and saki, in the older kotō manner. The hada is a refined itame; the hamon a gunome-midare in nie with sharp peaks that opens above into a broad ō-notare of coarse nie, with an ichimai bōshi and a deep turnback, plus mune-yaki — hardening on the back as well. The photographs show the mune-yaki clearly, as they do the two mekugi-ana in the tang, with signature and date divided between the two faces. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. The koshirae is an Edo han-tachi with matching shibuichi fittings and tiger menuki. Shirasaya included.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon, with koshirae and shirasaya
- Signed with an exact date — seventh day of the fifth month of Meireki 2 (1656) — and a record of special commission
- Shintō-period Sōshū-den: gunome-midare with sunagashi, ichimai bōshi and mune-yaki
- Han-tachi koshirae with matching shibuichi fittings and tiger menuki
- Outline with little difference between moto and saki, in the older kotō manner
Points to bear in mind
- Two mekugi-ana in the tang
- In the photographs the patina changes tone towards the machi, consistent with a slight machi-okuri: worth confirming
- The original seller states nothing about condition
- The photographs show slightly veiled areas in the ji that may be reflection or a tired polish
Score
148.9 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+5
Tang not declared, with two mekugi-ana +5
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
+50
Mounting from the same period as the blade +50
-
Blade
+10
69.6 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+23.9
Price: the more affordable, the more points +23.9
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
- 69.6 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Tang not declared
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Period mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Mizuta Kunishige
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- 7th day of the 5th month of Meireki 2 (1656)
- Province
- Bitchū
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 2.85cm
- Motokasane
- 0.58cm
- Sakihaba
- 2.19cm
- Sakikasane
- 0.5cm
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