Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
A suriage tachi of the late Kamakura period attributed to Sukemitsu of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school of Bizen, designated Jūyō Tōken at the 26th NBTHK session and kept in shirasaya.
A blade attributed to Sukemitsu, described by the original seller as the leading smith of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school of Bizen, with dated works from Gen'ō to Gentoku (1319–1331). It was designated Jūyō Tōken at the 26th NBTHK session (2 March, Shōwa 54, 1979), which records it as a tachi: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune and chū-kissaki. According to the paper, the jigane is itame mixed with masame, with distinct utsuri; the hamon, suguha-based with ko-chōji and ko-gunome, is covered in nie; the bōshi is yakizume. The tang is suriage, with a kirijiri end and four mekugi-ana, three of them plugged. It retains the character 一 (ichi) of the Ichimonji and the long inscription 備前国吉岡住左近将 (Bizen no kuni Yoshioka-jū Sakon-shō), illegible in its lower part: the smith's name cannot be read and the identification as Sukemitsu comes from the paper. Nagasa 73.33 cm, sori 1.82 cm. It is presented in shirasaya with a solid gold habaki (31 g, according to the original seller), and without koshirae.
Strong points
- Jūyō Tōken, 26th NBTHK session (1979)
- Attributed to Sukemitsu, the leading figure of the Yoshioka Ichimonji school
- Long signature with the Ichimonji character 一 (ichi)
- Itame jigane with masame and distinct utsuri, according to the paper
- Solid gold habaki
Points to bear in mind
- Suriage tang, with three of its four mekugi-ana plugged
- The end of the signature is illegible: the name Sukemitsu comes from the paper's attribution
- The original seller does not state the condition of the blade
- No koshirae: presented in shirasaya only
Score
82 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+140
NBTHK Jūyō paper +140
-
Tang
−40
Shortened tang (suriage) −20 · 2 extra mekugi-ana −20
-
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
73.3 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−13
Price: the more affordable, the more points −13
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
- 73.3 cm
- Sori
- 1.8 cm
- Tang
- Shortened tang (suriage)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Jūyō
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- attributed to Yoshioka Ichimonji Sukemitsu
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Late Kamakura period (early 14th century)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 4
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Sakihaba
- 1,73 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,68 cm
- Blade weight
- 745 g