Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana by Yokoyama Sukenaga of Bizen Osafune, dated Tenpō 14 (1843), with an ubu tang, the imperial chrysanthemum and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Kept in shirasaya.
Blade by Yokoyama Sukenaga, swordsmith to the Bizen domain and a leading figure of the Yokoyama school of Osafune, which claimed the Ichimonji tradition. According to the original seller, it is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, broad and with a solid kasane, showing a deep koshizori in the manner of a tachi; the seller describes a dense ko-mokume jigane with ji-nie and chikei, and a nioi-based jūka-chōji midare hamon. The tang is ubu, with katte-sagari yasurime and a kurijiri; the photographs show two mekugi-ana, one of them plugged, as the listing states. The omote is signed 横山加賀介藤原祐永 (Yokoyama Kaga no Suke Fujiwara Sukenaga); the ura bears the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum with the character 一 (ichi), 備前長船住 (Bizen Osafune-jū) and the date 天保十四年二月日 (Tenpō jūyonen nigatsu hi). The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, visible in the photographs, records the signature as a daimei by his fellow school smith Sukenori. Supplied with a one-piece silver habaki in shirasaya, without koshirae.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers
- Ubu tang, signed and dated Tenpō 14 (1843)
- Imperial chrysanthemum and the character 一 (ichi) on the ura
- Chōji hamon in the Bizen Ichimonji tradition, according to the original seller
- Silver habaki and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is kept in shirasaya only.
- According to the paper, the signature is a daimei, cut by Sukenori on Sukenaga's behalf.
- One of the two mekugi-ana is plugged.
- The listing does not state the condition or polish of the blade.
Score
102 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+5
68.8 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
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
- 68.8 cm
- Sori
- 3.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Yokoyama Sukenaga
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Tenpō 14 (1843)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,14 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,04 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,72 cm