Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by the second-generation Tadahiro of the Hizen school, designated Jūyō Tōken at the 36th NBTHK session (1990). Signed ubu tang, in shirasaya.
Work of the second Tadahiro, son and heir of the first Tadayoshi, who received the title Ōmi Daijō in 1641 and worked for more than sixty years in Hizen. The blade, shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, measures 73.8 cm in nagasa with 1.2 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.05 cm and a slightly elongated chū-kissaki. The photographs show a chū-suguha hamon and a very tightly forged ko-itame jigane; according to the original seller and the NBTHK description, the hamon has ashi and yō, a deep nioiguchi, abundant ko-nie, sunagashi and fine kinsuji, over a ji with dense ji-nie and chikei. The tang is ubu, with a single mekugi-ana and an iriyamagata tip, and bears the signature 肥前国住近江大掾藤原忠広 (Hizen no Kuni-jū Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro). It was designated Jūyō Tōken on 25 May 1990, at the 36th session; the origami is visible in the photographs. The original seller describes the blade as healthy and retaining much of its substance. It comes in shirasaya, with its bag, a two-piece gold-foil and shakudō habaki, and a box with an inscribed lid.
Strong points
- NBTHK Jūyō Tōken, 36th session (1990)
- Signed ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Chū-suguha over very tight ko-itame, the most prized style of the second Tadahiro
- Blade declared healthy by the original seller
- Shirasaya, two-piece gold and shakudō habaki, and box with inscribed lid
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without mounting (koshirae), in shirasaya only.
- The blade bears no engraved date; dating follows the Ōmi Daijō title, received in 1641.
Score
214.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+140
NBTHK Jūyō paper +140
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
+40
Immaculate according to the original seller +40
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
73.8 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−5.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points −5.6
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
- 73.8 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Jūyō
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Early Edo (1641–1688)
- Province
- Hizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,05 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm