Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shintō katana by the leading pupil of Horikawa Kunihiro, between Keichō and Genna, 70.8 cm long, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon and a koshirae whose iron tsuba is carved with hanabishi.
Kunitomo, holder of the Echigo no Kami title, was the leading pupil of Horikawa Kunihiro and, by tradition, his nephew as well. The originating seller further holds that he taught the first Kunisada and the first Kunisuke, two of the great Ōsaka names. His forging is described as finer and more refined than is usual in the Horikawa school. The blade measures 70.76 cm nagasa with 1.52 cm sori and is placed between the Keichō and Genna eras (1596-1624), with no date cut into the signature. The tang has five mekugi-ana, four of them plugged, which the originating seller himself calls a regrettable point of preservation. It holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate and comes with a koshirae whose iron tsuba is carved with hanabishi; no shirasaya is included.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Leading pupil of Horikawa Kunihiro and, by tradition, his nephew
- The originating seller regards him as the direct teacher of the first Kunisada and the first Kunisuke
- Forging finer and more refined than is usual in the Horikawa school
- Koshirae with an iron tsuba carved with hanabishi
- 70.8 cm nagasa, a practical length
Points to bear in mind
- Five mekugi-ana in the tang, four of them plugged: the originating seller himself calls this a regrettable point of preservation
- The signature carries no date
- No shirasaya included
- The state of the polish is not stated
Score
54.5 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−35
Tang not declared −5 · 3 extra mekugi-ana −30
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+10
70.8 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
- 70.8 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Tang not declared
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Modern mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Keichō-Genna eras (1596–1624)
- Province
- Yamashiro
- Mekugi-ana
- 5
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
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