NH-0043 Rank 55
Hosokawa Minamoto Tadayoshi
A shinshintō work signed and dated 1851, with an ubu tang holding a single hole, ko-chōji-midare with sunagashi and a condition the original seller calls excellent.
Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
A shinshintō blade by Hosokawa Minamoto Tadayoshi, active in Sōshū, signed and dated to the Kaei era, 1851, the date cut on the reverse of the tang. It measures 70.2 cm nagasa and 1.6 cm sori, and reaches 103 cm when mounted. The hamon is a ko-chōji-midare with togariba and visible sunagashi. The tang is ubu, with a single mekugi-ana. The original seller describes the condition as excellent: no hagire, no troublesome ware, no pitting and a good polish. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers accompany the blade. The mounting carries a pierced iron tsuba and a fuchi with a dragonfly motif; the original seller himself states that, although tsuba and fittings are Edo-period, the ensemble was probably assembled in Meiji or later, and that the saya appears to postdate Edo. No shirasaya is included.
Strong points
- Signed and dated 1851 (Kaei era), with the date on the reverse of the tang
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Ko-chōji-midare hamon with togariba and visible sunagashi
- Condition called excellent by the original seller: no hagire, no troublesome ware or pitting, good polish
- 103 cm overall when mounted
Points to bear in mind
- According to the original seller, the koshirae was probably assembled in Meiji or later and the saya appears to postdate Edo
- The fittings are Edo-period but unsigned and without papers
- No shirasaya included
Score breakdown
62.1/100
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).
- Signature and date 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
- Tang 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
- Mounting 0 of 18 Modern mounting
- Declared condition 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Blade 8 of 8 70.2 cm: within the usable range
- Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
- Price 5.1 of 10 Rank 69 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest