NH-0112 Rank 7
Fuji Samanosuke Minamoto Yoshimune
富士左馬亮源義宗
Shinshintō katana by Fuji Samanosuke Minamoto Yoshimune, dated Bunkyū 3 (1863), of very robust proportions, with a signed ubu nakago, full koshirae, shirasaya and Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Katana by Fuji Samanosuke Minamoto Yoshimune, dated the 12th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863), in the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate. The original seller presents it as a kinnōtō, the sturdy, practical blade associated with the Bakumatsu: nagasa of 77 cm, sori of 0.9 cm, motohaba of 3.35 cm, sakihaba of 2.4 cm and a kasane of 1.0 cm, well above the norm. The blade is in shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune; according to the original seller, the jihada is a tightly knit ko-itame and the hamon a chū-suguha in nie-deki with abundant ashi. The nakago is ubu with a single mekugi-ana, and the photographs show the signature 富士左馬亮源義宗 and the date 文久三年十二月日. It comes with a complete koshirae: a long tsuka with same and dark green ito, an iron openwork tsuba with hares and a crescent moon, and a black lacquered saya with a granular finish. Also included are a shirasaya, a two-piece copper habaki with gold foil and cloth bags. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, no. 1009880, dated December of Heisei 30 (2018), is photographed.
Strong points
- Signed and dated Bunkyū 3 (1863), in the heart of the Bakumatsu
- Exceptional proportions: 77 cm nagasa and 1.0 cm kasane
- Ubu nakago with a single mekugi-ana
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper photographed
- Complete koshirae, shirasaya and two-piece gold-foil habaki
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller neither dates the koshirae nor states it was made for this blade
- The ito and sageo look clean and taut, most likely redone
- The original seller does not expressly state the condition of the blade
Score breakdown
73.9/100
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 18 of 18 Signed and with an engraved date
- Tang 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
- Mounting 2 of 18 Period mounting · restored: rewrapped ito and new sageo
- Declared condition 13 of 20 Minor flaws declared
- Blade 8 of 8 77 cm: within the usable range
- Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
- Price 6.9 of 10 Rank 44 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest