Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed 政常 (Masatsune), a shinshintō work from Owari, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, an ubu tang and, according to the original seller, Owari Tokugawa provenance.
Katana by the Masatsune line of Owari province, a dynasty that, according to the original seller, lasted some ten generations until the Keiō era. The NBTHK paper classifies it as 新々刀 (shinshintō) and places it in the late Edo period. The blade measures 69.6 cm in nagasa with 1.2 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.46 cm and a sakihaba of 2.64 cm. The photographs show an ubu tang with an intact tip, a single mekugi-ana and the signature 政常 (Masatsune) on the omote. Page 447 of the book 日本の名刀 (Nihon no meitō), included with the piece, describes a well-forged ko-itame jigane and a suguha hamon with small ashi, and attributes it to a later generation of the Bunka-Bunsei era. According to the original seller, it comes from the Owari Tokugawa house: the old shirasaya bears a sayagaki recording that the lord presented it in person in Meiji 2 (1869) for services rendered in Kyoto in Keiō 3 (1867). It is kept in shirasaya, together with the old shirasaya and the book. NBTHK 特別保存刀剣 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken) paper, dated Reiwa 8 (2026).
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2026)
- Ubu tang signed 政常 (Masatsune), with a single mekugi-ana
- Owari Tokugawa provenance, with an 1869 sayagaki on the old shirasaya
- Published in 日本の名刀 (Nihon no meitō), p. 447, included
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is offered in shirasaya
- The listing does not describe the condition of the blade
- The smith's exact generation is not determined
Score
91.2 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
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
69.6 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+21.2
Price: the more affordable, the more points +21.2
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
- 69.6 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Owari Masatsune
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Late Edo period (19th century)
- Province
- Owari
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,46 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,64 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,85 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,55 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,91 cm