Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Late fifteenth-century kotō katana of the Sue-Seki group, 76.2 cm long, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon for the blade and an NBTHK Hozon tōsōgu paper for its han-tachi koshirae.
Kanefusa is a name that recurs in Sue-Seki from the middle of the Muromachi period into shintō times. According to the indexes, the smith who signs “Kanefusa saku” was a grandson of the first Kaneyoshi and the eldest son of the Kanefusa of the Eikyō era; he worked in the late fifteenth century, around the Bunmei era, with works dated Bunmei 10 and 16. The blade is shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune, a broad mihaba, sakizori and an extended chū-kissaki: 76.2 cm nagasa, 1.6 cm sori, 3.22 cm motohaba and 923 g in weight. The hada is a varied itame with ji-nie and shirake-utsuri; the hamon a gunome with togari and chōji, plentiful ko-ashi and yō, nie and tobiyaki; the bōshi differs on each face. The tang is suriage, with a lightly cut kuri-jiri end, katte-sagari yasurime except on the shinogi-ji of the reverse, which is suji-kai, and three holes. What sets the ensemble apart is its double certification: NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon for the blade (27 August 2021) and NBTHK Hozon tōsōgu for the 108 cm han-tachi koshirae (2 April 2021), with a saya in black ishime-ji lacquer, mantis-on-autumn-grasses menuki and a tsuka covered in aya cloth with flat nandō-coloured tsukamaki. A shirasaya with cover and a one-piece silver habaki are included.
Strong points
- Two NBTHK papers: Tokubetsu Hozon for the blade and Hozon tōsōgu for the koshirae, both issued in 2021
- Han-tachi koshirae of 108 cm with a saya in black ishime-ji lacquer
- Praying-mantis menuki on autumn grasses and a tsuka in aya cloth with flat nandō tsukamaki
- 76.2 cm nagasa and a 923 g blade: long and substantial
- Kotō blade of the late fifteenth century, from the Mino tradition
- Shirasaya with cover and a one-piece silver habaki included
Points to bear in mind
- Suriage tang with three mekugi-ana: the blade has been shortened
- The signature carries no date
- The koshirae fittings are mumei, unsigned
- The originating seller reports areas of slightly open hada on the shinogi-ji and around the monouchi of the front face; the polish and the koshirae are described as sound
Score
91.7 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−30
Shortened tang (suriage) −20 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
−10
The original seller declares flaws 0 · minor flaws −10
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+25
Mounting described, undated +5 · Hozon Tōsōgu paper for the whole mounting +20
-
Blade
+15
76.2 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+21.7
Price: the more affordable, the more points +21.7
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
- 76.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.6 cm
- Tang
- Shortened tang (suriage)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Seki Kanefusa
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Bunmei era (late 15th century)
- Province
- Mino
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,22cm
- Motokasane
- 0,64cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,30cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,39cm
- Blade weight
- 923g
- Length when mounted
- 108cm
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing