Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Attributed to the second Kanewaka generation of Kaga, Meireki era, with an ubu tang, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers issued in December 2025, uchigatana koshirae and shirasaya.
The Kanewaka line of Kaga begins with Jinroku, a smith who came from Mino and claimed descent from Shizu Saburō Kaneuji; he received the title of Etchū no Kami and thereafter signed “Etchū no Kami Takahira”. The succession continues with Matasuke, the second generation, and Shirōemon, the third. Because the periods in which each generation signed “Kanewaka” overlap, and daisaku and daimei are common, attributing an undated blade is difficult; the original seller reports that recent research places this piece with the second generation, Matasuke, in the Meireki era (1655-1658). The blade measures 69.9 cm of nagasa with 1.3 cm of sori, 3.11 cm of motohaba, 0.65 cm of motokasane, 0.70 cm of shinogi-kasane and 2.10 cm of sakihaba. The tang remains ubu. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper was issued on 1 December 2025. An uchigatana koshirae with a kuro-kawari-nuri saya and a shirasaya accompany the blade.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper issued on 1 December 2025
- Ubu tang
- Attributed to the second Kanewaka generation, the most accomplished of the Kaga line
- Uchigatana koshirae with a kuro-kawari-nuri saya
- A shirasaya is also included
Points to bear in mind
- The signature carries no date
- The original seller neither details the fittings nor dates the koshirae
- The number of mekugi-ana is not stated
Score
113.3 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+10
69.9 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+23.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +23.3
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
- 69.9 cm
- Sori
- 1.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Kashū Kanewaka
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Meireki era (1655–58)
- Province
- Kaga
- Paper date
- 1 December 2025
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3.11 cm
- Motokasane
- 0.65 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0.70 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2.10 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0.47 cm
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