The piece
A long, massive Kan'ei-era katana signed 丹後守藤原寿命 (Tango no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, an uchigatana koshirae and a shirasaya.
A blade by Toshinaga, an Owari smith in the service of the Owari Tokugawa house, which the original seller places in the Kan'ei era, early Edo period. It is a shinogi-zukuri katana with iori-mune, 76.2 cm in nagasa with 1.2 cm of sori, broad at the base with little taper and an extended chū-kissaki; it weighs 802 g without habaki. Bo-hi are carved on both sides. According to the original seller, the hada is itame mixed with masame, with dense ji-nie and chikei, and the hamon combines gunome and togari-ba with tobiyaki, long ashi and sunagashi. The nakago is ubu, with one mekugi-ana, an iriyama tip and ō-sujikai file marks, and is signed 丹後守藤原寿命 (Tango no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga). The NBTHK awarded it Tokubetsu Hozon papers. It comes with an uchigatana koshirae with a burgundy lacquered saya, an iron mokkō tsuba with cherry blossoms in gold and silver, oborogin fuchi-kashira and shakudō menuki, together with a shirasaya whose sayagaki attributes it to the first generation.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, visible in the photographs
- Ubu nakago signed 丹後守藤原寿命 (Tango no Kami Fujiwara Toshinaga)
- Long, massive blade typical of the Kan'ei era (802 g without habaki)
- Uchigatana koshirae with a cherry-blossom theme and shirasaya with sayagaki
Points to bear in mind
- Old polish, according to the original seller
- The mounting is described but not dated by the original seller
- The tsuka wrap looks clean and tight in the photographs, probably redone
Score
172.8 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
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Declared condition
+40
Immaculate according to the original seller +40
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Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
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Mounting
0
Mounting described, undated +5 · rewrapped ito −5
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Blade
+15
76.2 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
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Price
+22.8
Price: the more affordable, the more points +22.8
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
- 76.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Tango no Kami Jumyō
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kan'ei era (1624–1644)
- Province
- Owari
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,19 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,32 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,76 cm
- Blade weight
- 802 g (sin habaki)
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