Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Collaborative katana (gassaku) by the first Harima Daijō Shigetaka of Echizen and Iwami no Kami Nobuyori, in shirasaya with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
A collaborative katana (gassaku) signed by Harima Daijō Shigetaka, first generation, an Echizen smith active from the Kan'ei era, and by Iwami no Kami Nobuyori. The omote of the tang bears the signature 越前住播磨大掾藤原重高 (Echizen-jū Harima Daijō Fujiwara Shigetaka) and the ura 石見守藤原信仍 (Iwami no Kami Fujiwara Nobuyori). The original seller places it around the Kanbun era and notes that katana by the shodai are very scarce, since he worked mainly on wakizashi and naginata, and that collaborative works are rare. The blade measures 71.4 cm in nagasa with 1.4 cm of sori, of standard width and well proportioned. According to the original seller, the jigane is mokume mixed with itame, with a visible grain, and the hamon is suguha mixed with gentle notare; the photographs show a calm, undulating hamon. The tang, with a single mekugi-ana, appears intact in the photographs. The blade is kept in shirasaya, without mountings. The NBTHK certified it as Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken in December of Reiwa 7 (2025), with the attribution to the first generation written on the paper.
Strong points
- Collaborative work with two signatures: Harima Daijō Shigetaka on the omote and Iwami no Kami Nobuyori on the ura
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper attributing the blade to the first generation
- A katana by the shodai, very scarce according to the original seller
- Tang intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
Points to bear in mind
- No mountings: the blade is offered in shirasaya only
- The listing does not state the blade's condition or the date of polish
- Undated: the attribution to around the Kanbun era comes from the original seller
Score
92 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +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
71.4 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+27
Price: the more affordable, the more points +27
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
- 71.4 cm
- Sori
- 1.4 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kanbun era (1661–1673)
- Province
- Echizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,04 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,13 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,67 cm
- Blade weight
- 710 g