Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana from Satsuma signed Hōki no Kami Masayuki and dated 1816, with a Tokubetsu Hozon paper attributing it as daimei to his pupil Masakage. In shirasaya with sayagaki.
Katana signed on the omote 伯耆守平朝臣正幸 (Hōki no Kami Taira no Ason Masayuki) and dated on the ura 文化十三年子八月 (Bunka jūsan-nen ne hachigatsu). Together with Motohira, Masayuki was one of the leading Satsuma smiths of the shinshintō period, and in his later years his pupils also worked under his name. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, visible in the photographs, records the signature and specifies 伝隅州正景代銘 (den Gūshū Masakage daimei): a work by his pupil Masakage signed on the master's behalf. The blade measures 68.2 cm with 1.7 cm of sori, wide and robust, with an extended kissaki. According to the original seller, the jigane is a blackish ko-itame and the hamon a nie-deki pointed gunome-midare with sunagashi and kinsuji; the photographs clearly show the pointed gunome. The tang, declared original, has three mekugi-ana. The blade is kept in a shirasaya with a sayagaki by 本阿弥日洲 (Hon'ami Nisshū) from 1982 and a longer one signed 探山 (Tanzan). One-piece habaki with gold foil.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2024), visible in the photographs
- Signed and dated in the 8th month of Bunka 13 (1816)
- Pointed gunome-midare hamon, clearly visible in the close-ups
- Shirasaya with sayagaki by 本阿弥日洲 (Hon'ami Nisshū) and 探山 (Tanzan)
- Wide, robust 68.2 cm blade with an extended kissaki
Points to bear in mind
- The paper attributes it as a daimei by Masakage: Masayuki's signature, his pupil's hand.
- Offered in shirasaya, without koshirae.
- The listing does not mention the state of the polish.
Score
136.7 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+15
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+5
68.2 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+21.7
Price: the more affordable, the more points +21.7
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
- 68.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.7 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- attributed to Gūshū Masakage
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Bunka 13 (1816)
- Province
- Satsuma
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,32 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,38 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Blade weight
- 815 g