Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Yokoyama Sukehisa of Osafune (Bizen), signed and dated Ansei 2 (1855), with an ubu tang, in shirasaya and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Katana by Yokoyama Sukehisa, a smith of the Yokoyama branch of the Sukesada school of Osafune in Bizen province. According to the original seller, he was the adopted son of the first Kaga no Suke Sukenaga, worked from the Kaei to the Keiō eras and died in Meiji 2 (1869). The blade has a nagasa of 72.7 cm and a sori of 2.1 cm. The tang is ubu, with a single mekugi-ana, and is signed on the omote 備前長船住 (Bizen Osafune-jū) and on the ura 横山祐久作 (Yokoyama Sukehisa saku), dated 安政二年二月吉日 (Ansei ni-nen nigatsu kichijitsu). According to the original seller, the shape has a deep sori, fumbari and tapers towards the point; the jigane is a tight, moist itame; the hamon starts with a Kyoto-style yakidashi and continues in gunome mixed with chōji, with ashi, and the bōshi is relaxed with a round turn-back. The photographs show a well-defined gunome hamon along the entire blade. It is kept in shirasaya with a gold-foiled double habaki, and comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers issued in June 2020.
Strong points
- Signed and dated Ansei 2 (1855), with an ubu tang
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2020)
- Gunome hamon with chōji and ashi according to the original seller, clearly visible in the photographs
- Blade declared healthy by the original seller, with no polishing wear
- Shirasaya and gold-foiled double habaki
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without koshirae, in shirasaya only
- The photographs show fine surface scratches in the polish
- The listing does not mention a recent polish
Score
156.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
72.7 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+26.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +26.4
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
- 72.7 cm
- Sori
- 2.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Yokoyama Sukehisa
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Ansei 2 (1855)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,21 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,05 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,85 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,52 cm
- Blade weight
- 884 g