Kantei

NH-0026 Rank 10

Chikuzen Nobukuni Yoshikane

Nobukuni school of Chikuzen, Kanbun era, with an ubu tang of a single mekugi-ana, 2.1 cm of sori, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, koshirae and shirasaya.

Shintō (1596-1780)Kanbun era (1661–1673)Chikuzen (Fukuoka)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A work of the Nobukuni school of Chikuzen, one of the two principal shintō lines of that province, placed by the original seller in the Kanbun era (1661-1673). The blade measures 70.4 cm of nagasa with a sori of 2.1 cm: a pronounced curve for a piece of its period, giving the outline a clearly visible arc. Sunagashi and kinsuji can be seen along the edge, activities that speak of careful forging. The tang remains ubu, unshortened, with a single mekugi-ana, so the signature survives in full; it bears no date. The blade carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. It comes with koshirae and shirasaya, although the original seller does not describe the fittings of the mounting and makes no statement about the blade's state of preservation.

Strong points

  • Nobukuni school of Chikuzen, one of the two summits of the province's shintō work
  • Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers
  • Sori of 2.1 cm over 70.4 cm of nagasa: a pronounced curve
  • Sunagashi and kinsuji visible along the edge
  • Supplied with koshirae and shirasaya

Points to bear in mind

  • The signature carries no date
  • The original seller does not describe the mounting
  • No statement is made about the blade's state of preservation

Score breakdown

72.5/100

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 4 of 18 Period mounting
  4. Declared condition 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
  5. Blade 8 of 8 70.4 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 7.5 of 10 Rank 35 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest