Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Dated the second month of Bunkyū 4 (1864), from the Chōshū domain, with an inscription declaring a forging of fifteen layers and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
A late Edo blade signed “Nagato no Kuni Han Ōfuka Gozaemon Kinryūshi Fujiwara Tamakiku saku”, from the Chōshū domain in Nagato province, today Yamaguchi prefecture. The reverse of the tang carries the inscription 文久四年甲子二月日鍛甲伏十五枚 (probable reading: Bunkyū yonen kinoe-ne nigatsu hi, kitau kōbuse jūgomai): the second month of Bunkyū 4 (1864) and, beyond the date, a statement of method — the blade was forged from fifteen superimposed layers, a point the smith chose to record in the steel itself. The blade measures 70.1 cm of nagasa with 1.1 cm of sori. The signature runs the length of the tang and reads clearly on both faces; there are two mekugi-ana. The blade carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. It comes with a blue-lacquered koshirae with a dragon tsuba, a travel bag and a maintenance kit. The photographs show the edge clean on both sides, with a complete bōshi and a crisp yokote, free of chips and hagire.
Strong points
- Signed and dated the second month of Bunkyū 4 (1864)
- The reverse inscription states the forging method: fifteen superimposed layers
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers
- A long signature, legible on both faces of the tang
- Blue-lacquered koshirae with a dragon tsuba; travel bag and maintenance kit included
- A work of the Chōshū domain on the eve of the Meiji Restoration
Points to bear in mind
- No shirasaya is included
- The original seller declares two areas of surface pitting on the shinogi-ji, away from the edge and the temper line
- Near the top of the mune there is an incipient kitae-kizu that can be felt by hand
- Two mekugi-ana, although the length of the signature indicates the tang has not been shortened
Score
123.3 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
-
Declared condition
−25
The original seller declares flaws 0 · small kitae-ware, away from the edge −5 · black rust (kuro-sabi) −20
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Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
+18
Modern or replacement mounting +15 · family crests (mon): 1 +3
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Blade
+10
70.1 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
0
No shirasaya: one will have to be made 0
-
Price
+25.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +25.3
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
- 70.1 cm
- Sori
- 1.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Modern mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- No
- Smith
- Tamakiku
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Bunkyū 4 (1864)
- Province
- prov. de Nagato
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Minor flaws declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
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