NH-0105 Rank 92
Nodagoro Fujiwara Kanesada
Katana signed by Nodagoro Fujiwara Kanesada, a Mino smith of the Genroku era, with an intact tang, Tokubetsu Hozon paper and a full mounting as well as a shirasaya.
Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Katana signed "Nodagoro Fujiwara Kanesada" (野田五郎藤原金定). According to the original seller, Kanesada was a smith from Mino province, active in the mid-Edo period, who also worked in Owari; the NBTHK paper places him in Mino around the Genroku era. The blade has a nagasa of 69.2 cm with 2.1 cm of sori, a motohaba of 2.8 cm and a sakihaba of 1.9 cm, in shinogi-zukuri with a medium kissaki. The photographs show a tang that appears intact, with a kurijiri tip, a single mekugi-ana and the signature in one long line on the omote. It comes with a gilt habaki, a shirasaya and a complete koshirae: a lacquered saya with a granular finish, a same-covered tsuka wrapped in purple ito with figurative menuki, and a round iron tsuba with gilt mon plates, a motif repeated on the fuchi. The Tokubetsu Hozon paper, dated 23 May Reiwa 1 (2019), is photographed.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper photographed (2019)
- Tang appears intact, with a single mekugi-ana and full signature
- Complete koshirae with mon on tsuba and fuchi
- Accompanied by a shirasaya and gilt habaki
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller does not state the blade's condition, and the photographs do not show the hamon in close-up.
- The mounting is neither dated nor described in writing; the ito and sageo appear recently redone.
Score breakdown
56.1/100
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).
- Signature and date 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
- Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
- Mounting -2 of 18 Mounting documented only in the photographs · with a family crest (mon) · restored: rewrapped ito and new sageo
- Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
- Blade 8 of 8 69.2 cm: within the usable range
- Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
- Price 9.1 of 10 Rank 14 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest