Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed by Minamoto Masayoshi, active in Edo around the Kyōwa era, 69.5 cm long, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon and a brass koshirae described piece by piece.
A blade signed by Minamoto Masayoshi, whose civil name was Hosokawa Masayoshi, active in Edo around the Kyōwa era (1801-1804). It measures 69.5 cm nagasa with 1.5 cm sori, a comfortable working length. The signature carries no date and the tang has two mekugi-ana; the originating seller does not say whether it retains its original length. The blade holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate. The mounting, by contrast, is described piece by piece: a mokkō brass tsuba carved with paulownia and floral motifs, fuchi-kashira also in brass with running water and lotus flowers, and a saya lacquered in vermilion, an uncommon colour for the ensemble. No shirasaya is included. The originating seller says nothing about the condition of the blade or its polish, points worth raising before deciding.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Koshirae described piece by piece: mokkō brass tsuba with paulownia, fuchi-kashira with running water and lotus flowers
- Saya lacquered in vermilion, an uncommon colour for a katana mounting
- 69.5 cm nagasa, a practical length
- Signed blade, the signature legible on the tang
Points to bear in mind
- The tang has two mekugi-ana
- The signature carries no date
- No shirasaya included
- The originating seller states nothing about the polish: worth asking before deciding
Score
67.7 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−20
Shortened tang (suriage) −20
-
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
69.5 cm: within the usable range +10
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+22.7
Price: the more affordable, the more points +22.7
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
- 69.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Shortened tang (suriage)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Modern mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hosokawa Masayoshi
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Kyōwa era (1801–04)
- Province
- Edo
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing