Kantei

NH-0061 Rank 129

Heki Dewa no Kami Minamoto Mitsuhira

A mid-Edo work of the Ishidō school of Gamō in Ōmi, later moved to Edo; 71.3 cm nagasa, suriage tang with machi-okuri, with koshirae and shirasaya.

Shintō (1596-1780)Mid-Edo period (17th century)Musashi (Tokio)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Mitsuhira belongs to the Ishidō school that originated in Gamō, Ōmi province, and later moved to Edo; this blade is placed in the mid-Edo period, in the seventeenth century, and carries no cut date. It measures 71.3 cm nagasa with 1.0 cm sori. The tang is suriage and shows machi-okuri and two mekugi-ana, as the original seller confirms. It holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers and comes with koshirae and shirasaya (拵付白鞘入). The original seller's documentation is bilingual and sets the data out in a table, but does not describe the mounting: he places it between late Edo and the Meiji era, with no further detail and no tōsōgu papers of its own.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon, with koshirae and shirasaya
  • Ishidō school of Gamō in Ōmi, later moved to Edo
  • 71.3 cm nagasa, a generous length for a katana
  • The piece's data are set out clearly and bilingually by the original seller

Points to bear in mind

  • Suriage tang with machi-okuri and two mekugi-ana, confirmed by the original seller
  • The original seller places the mounting between late Edo and the Meiji era, later than the blade
  • The mounting is not described and has no tōsōgu papers of its own
  • The signature carries no date

Score breakdown

44.1/100

The score shares out 100 points: Signature and date 18 · Tang 22 · Mounting 18 · Declared condition 20 · Blade 8 · Shirasaya 4 · Price 10. 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).

  1. Signature and date 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
  2. Tang 6 of 22 Shortened tang (suriage)
  3. Mounting 1 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 71.3 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 4.1 of 10 Rank 82 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest