Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Kotō blade of the mid-Muromachi period by a Kagenaga of Inaba, with a sayagaki by Hon'ami Chōshiki on the shirasaya. With koshirae and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Kotō katana by Inshū-jū Kagenaga, a line of smiths from Inaba. According to the original seller, the first Kagenaga worked in the Einin era, within the Kamakura period: he trained under Awataguchi Yoshimitsu and signed at first as Awataguchi Yoshimasa, until he took the name Kagenaga on settling in Inshū, the province of Inaba. This blade is the work of a Kagenaga of the mid-Muromachi period (1444-1491), with a suguha in the Awataguchi manner and a bōshi tending to a point. Fukunaga Suiken's Nihontō Daihyakka Jiten records the “four traits of Kagenaga”: a bōshi like that of the Rai school, a hada in the Awataguchi manner, nie like that of the Enju school of Higo, and an outline recalling Morimitsu and Yasumitsu of Ōei-Bizen. It measures 71.5 cm nagasa with 1.7 cm sori. The saya bears a sayagaki by Hon'ami Chōshiki, who was in charge of the swords of the Imperial Household. It is supplied with shirasaya and koshirae, and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Strong points
- Sayagaki by Hon'ami Chōshiki, custodian of the swords of the Imperial Household
- Kotō blade of the mid-Muromachi period (1444-1491)
- Suguha in the Awataguchi manner and a bōshi tending to a point
- Fukunaga Suiken's Nihontō Daihyakka Jiten records the “four traits of Kagenaga”: a Rai-style bōshi, an Awataguchi-style hada, nie like Enju of Higo, and an outline close to Ōei-Bizen
- Supplied with koshirae and shirasaya
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
Points to bear in mind
- The signature carries no date
- Neither the condition of the tang nor the number of mekugi-ana is stated
- The mounting is neither described nor dated
- The original seller does not describe the blade's state of preservation
Score
79.5 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−5
Tang not declared −5
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
0
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0
-
Blade
+10
71.5 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+24.5
Price: the more affordable, the more points +24.5
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
- 71.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.7 cm
- Tang
- Tang not declared
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Inshū Kagenaga
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Mid-Muromachi period (1444–91)
- Province
- Inaba (Tottori)
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
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