Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Long 75.4 cm blade of the Sakakura-Seki school, from Mino to Owari, with a koshirae described piece by piece and Tokubetsu Hozon papers. The tang has been shortened.
The blade is signed Fujiwara Masayasu, a name also read Masatomo, and is placed in the Sakakura-Seki school, rooted in Mino and established in Owari. It is dated to the Enpō era (1673-1681); the signature bears no date. It measures 75.4 cm nagasa, among the longer lengths, with a low sori of 0.7 cm that gives a very straight outline, and it weighs 945 g: a sturdy blade. The tang has been shortened (suriage), with three mekugi-ana and some 3 cm of machi-okuri, meaning that the mounting point has been moved from its original position. The koshirae is described piece by piece: an iron tsuba with chrysanthemums, an iron fuchi-kashira with silver arabesques, copper menuki with lions, and a decorated lacquer saya. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers are included.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- 75.4 cm nagasa: among the longer blades
- Koshirae described piece by piece: iron tsuba with chrysanthemums, iron fuchi-kashira with silver arabesques, copper lion menuki and a decorated lacquer saya
- Sakakura-Seki school, from Mino to Owari
- 945 g: a sturdy blade
Points to bear in mind
- Heavily reworked tang: shortened, with three mekugi-ana and some 3 cm of machi-okuri
- The signature bears no date; the Enpō dating is an estimate
- 0.7 cm sori: a very straight outline
- No shirasaya is included, and the original seller neither dates the mounting nor describes the state of preservation
Score
130 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−20
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+15
75.4 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+30
Price: the more affordable, the more points +30
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
- 75.4 cm
- Sori
- 0.7 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Modern mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Masayasu
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Enpō era (1673–81)
- Province
- Owari, de origen Mino
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
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