Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shintō katana by the second Iga no Kami Kinmichi of the Mishina school of Kyoto, signed with the imperial chrysanthemum and the title Nihon kaji sōshō. Ubu tang, in shirasaya, with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana by the second generation of Iga no Kami Kinmichi, of the Mishina school of Yamashiro (Kyoto). According to the original seller, he received the title Iga no Kami in the 14th year of Kan'ei (1637), and his house held until the end of the Edo period the office of Nihon kaji sōshō, which handled smiths' titles at the imperial court. The blade measures 77.2 cm with 1.6 cm of sori: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, wide mihaba and chū-kissaki. The original seller describes an itame jigane mixed with mokume, thick ji-nie and chikei, and a gunome hamon with chōji and togariba, frequent ashi and yō, ko-nie, kinsuji and nie-suji; the photographs show an undulating gunome hamon. The tang is ubu, with one mekugi-ana, and bears on the omote 菊紋伊賀守藤原金道 (kikumon Iga no Kami Fujiwara Kinmichi) beneath a chiselled chrysanthemum, and on the ura 日本鍛冶惣匠 (Nihon kaji sōshō). It is kept in shirasaya with a double gold-foiled habaki. The NBTHK has certified it Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken, attributing it to the second generation on the paper.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, attributing the signature to the second generation
- Signature with 菊紋 (kikumon), the imperial chrysanthemum, and the title 日本鍛冶惣匠 (Nihon kaji sōshō)
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Long 77.2 cm blade with wide mihaba and a gunome-chōji hamon
- Shirasaya and double gold-foiled habaki
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is offered in shirasaya only
- The listing does not state the blade's condition or the date of polish
- The blade is undated; the listing places it around Kan'ei and, in another passage, around Enpō (1673–1681)
Score
95.2 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
+15
77.2 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+20.2
Price: the more affordable, the more points +20.2
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
- 77.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.6 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Iga no Kami Kinmichi
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kan'ei era (1624–1644)
- Province
- Yamashiro
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,65 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,67 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,42 cm
- Blade weight
- 741 g