Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana from Satsuma, signed 薩摩官工平正良 (Satsuma kankō Taira no Masayoshi) and dated 1785, an early work of the future Hōki no Kami Masayuki. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
A blade from the early period of the third Masayoshi of Satsuma, who in 1789 received the title Hōki no Kami, passed the name Masayoshi to his heir and thereafter signed Masayuki; together with Oku Motohira he is one of the two great shinshintō smiths of Satsuma. According to the original seller, he made it at around 53 years of age. The ubu tang, with a single mekugi-ana, bears on the omote the signature 薩摩官工平正良 (Satsuma kankō Taira no Masayoshi) and on the ura the date 天明五年巳二月 (Tenmei go-nen mi nigatsu), as read in the photographs. Shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and chū-kissaki, nagasa 71.6 cm, sori 1.8 cm, with bōhi on both sides. The photographs show a notare hamon mixed with gunome; according to the original seller, with ara-nie, deep nioi, kinsuji and sunagashi, over a dense ko-itame jigane mixed with mokume and rich in chikei, typical of Satsuma. Gold-foiled copper habaki. According to the listing, it comes in shirasaya, without mountings. It is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper dated January 2012.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 薩摩官工平正良 (Satsuma kankō Taira no Masayoshi), 2nd month of Tenmei 5 (1785)
- Early work by one of the two great shinshintō smiths of Satsuma
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, visible in the photographs
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Healthy blade according to the original seller, well proportioned, with bōhi on both sides
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without koshirae; according to the listing, in shirasaya, which does not appear in the photographs.
- The original seller mentions fine forging openings (kitae-hada) in the edge area.
- Old polish (jidai kenma), according to the original seller; not a recent polish.
Score
51.3 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−70
The original seller declares flaws 0 · large kitae-ware, in the edge or the monouchi −70
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
71.6 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+21.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +21.3
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
- 71.6 cm
- Sori
- 1.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Ijichi Masayuki
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Tenmei 5 (1785)
- Province
- Satsuma
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Minor flaws declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,25 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,19 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,70 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,52 cm