Kantei

NH-0107 Rank 87

Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro

Ubu katana signed by Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro, second generation of Hizen Tadayoshi, with Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, a sayagaki attributed to Satō Kanzan and an aogai koshirae described as a period mounting.

Shintō (1596-1780)Early Edo period (17th century)HizenNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Katana signed Hizen no Kuni jū Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro, the work of the second generation of the Hizen Tadayoshi house, who received the title Ōmi Daijō in 1641 and is ranked among the shintō smiths as jōjō-saku and ō-wazamono. A long shinogi-zukuri blade with a nagasa of 76.6 cm and a sori of 1.2 cm, with an ubu tang, a single mekugi-ana and the complete signature, as the photographs show. According to the original seller, the jigane is the konuka-hada characteristic of Hizen and the hamon a custom-order gunome-midare, unusual for this smith, with chōji-ashi, sunagashi and kinsuji; the photographs show a recent polish and a clear, undulating temper line. The blade holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, legible in the photographs, and comes with a shirasaya bearing a sayagaki attributed to Satō Kanzan. It is accompanied by a koshirae the seller describes as a period mounting: a black-lacquer saya with aogai, a maki-same hilt with dragon menuki and gilt fuchi-kashira, and an openwork iron tsuba with pine and plum motifs.

Strong points

  • Complete signature of Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro, second generation of the Hizen Tadayoshi house, on an ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, legible in the photographs (2012)
  • Custom-order gunome-midare hamon, unusual for this smith according to the original seller
  • Long 76.6 cm blade with a declared recent polish
  • Complete koshirae with aogai saya, openwork tsuba and dragon menuki, plus a shirasaya with a sayagaki attributed to Satō Kanzan

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller declares a patch of black rust of about 16 mm near the mune-machi
  • The mounting is described as a period koshirae, without a specific period or documentary accreditation
  • The sageo appears to be a recent replacement, judging from the photographs

Score breakdown

56.8/100

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 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
  3. Mounting 3 of 18 Period mounting · restored: new sageo
  4. Declared condition 13 of 20 Minor flaws declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 76.6 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 0.8 of 10 Rank 128 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest