NH-0117 Rank 75
Jirōtarō Naokatsu
Shinshintō katana signed and dated by Jirōtarō Naokatsu in the 2nd month of Tenpō 10 (1839), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper and a complete koshirae.
Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi
Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
Description
Jirōtarō Naokatsu, born in Yamagata, trained in Edo under Taikei Naotane, married his daughter and became his adopted heir; like his master, he served the Akimoto family. According to the original seller, he made many substitute works for Naotane in the latter's final years, and because he died early (1859) relatively few of his works survive. The blade has a nagasa of 70.3 cm and a sori of 1.88 cm, wide and thick, with fine koitame jigane and a gunome-midare hamon with a tight nioiguchi, abundant sunagashi and kinsuji; the bōshi is midare with a turn-back. The photographs show a nakago that appears ubu, with a single mekugi-ana, the signature “Jirōtarō Naokatsu” on the omote and the date, spring, 2nd month of Tenpō 10, on the ura. It comes with a one-piece copper habaki, a shirasaya and a koshirae with black lacquered saya, tsuka wrapped in black ito over same, an iron tsuba pierced with chrysanthemums and paulownia, shakudō fuchi, horn kashira and menuki of a figure with a dog. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, dated 2 December Reiwa 1 (2019), is photographed.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 2nd month of Tenpō 10 (1839)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper photographed
- Pupil, son-in-law and heir of Taikei Naotane; scarce work
- Nakago appearing ubu with a single mekugi-ana
- Complete koshirae with pierced iron tsuba, plus shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller does not state the condition of the blade
- The koshirae is described but not dated
- The saya lacquer looks flawless and unmarked in the photographs, possibly relacquered
Score breakdown
58.8/100
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).
- Signature and date 18 of 18 Signed and with an engraved date
- Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
- Mounting -1 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · restored: relacquered or new saya
- Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
- Blade 8 of 8 70.3 cm: within the usable range
- Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
- Price 2.8 of 10 Rank 101 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest