Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana by Kunihisa, a smith of Mori in Bungo, signed with surname and the title Harima no Kami; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken (2026), in shirasaya.
Katana by the smith Kunihisa, who signed with the surname Yamagami and the title Harima no Kami, working in Mori, Bungo province, between the Bunsei and Tenpō eras, in the heart of the shinshintō period. According to the original seller, the blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune and chū-kissaki, generous in width and thickness and with restrained curvature; the jigane is ko-itame tending to nagare with chikei, the hamon a ko-nie chōji-midare with fairly even peaks, and the bōshi is midare, rising and turning back briefly. The tang is ubu with a slight machi-okuri, sujikai file marks, an iriyamagata tip and two mekugi-ana; the omote bears the signature 山上播磨守藤原国寿 (Yamagami Harima no Kami Fujiwara Kunihisa). The NBTHK awarded it Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken on 3 June 2026, attributing it to Bungo around the Tenpō era, and the blade is published in the reference work Zoku Ōita-ken no Katana. It comes in shirasaya with a one-piece gilt solid-silver habaki with Yūjō-style file marks; there is no koshirae.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, issued 2026
- Full signature with surname and title: Yamagami Harima no Kami Fujiwara Kunihisa
- Published in the reference work Zoku Ōita-ken no Katana
- Uncommon work by a Bungo smith of the Tenpō era
- Gilt solid-silver habaki and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade comes in shirasaya only
- Tang with a slight machi-okuri, as stated by the original seller
- The listing does not describe the condition of the blade
- The paper records 2 shaku 3 sun 3 bu (about 70.6 cm), slightly less than the listed 70.9 cm
Score
65 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−10
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
70.9 cm: within the usable range +10
-
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
- 70.9 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Yamagami Kunihisa
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Tenpō era (1830–1844)
- Province
- Bungo
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,0 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,6 cm