Kantei

NH-0172 Rank 72

Kanesada

Katana signed Ōshū Aizu jū Kanesada and dated 8th month of Ansei 3 (1856), with masame jigane and a sanbonsugi-style hamon; NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, shirasaya and iron-mounted koshirae with azuki-coloured ishime saya.

Shintō (1596-1780)8th month of Ansei 3 (1856)IwakiNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Shinshintō katana signed “Ōshū Aizu jū Kanesada” and dated the eighth month of Ansei 3 (1856), which the original seller attributes to the tenth generation of the Aizu Kanesada line and ranks as jōjō-saku within his work. The blade has a nagasa of 70.9 cm and a sori of 1.8 cm; it is wide, of solid kasane, with a slightly extended kissaki. The seller describes a well-forged masame jigane with chikei, reminiscent of the Sendai Kunikane smiths, and a nie-based sanbonsugi-style hamon with kinsuji and sunagashi; the bōshi is midarekomi with a turn-back. In the photographs the nakago appears intact, with a single mekugi-ana, the signature on the omote and the date on the ura. The habaki is a two-piece copper one with silver. The sword comes in shirasaya together with a koshirae that the photographs show complete: an iron tsuba with characters inlaid in gold, iron fuchi, kashira and kojiri, menuki of a bird and moon highlighted in gold, and an azuki-coloured ishime lacquered saya; the seller describes it without dating it. It is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, legible in the photograph of the origami, and a full oshigata of the blade.

Strong points

  • Signed “Ōshū Aizu jū Kanesada” and dated 8th month of Ansei 3 (1856)
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, legible in the photograph of the origami
  • Masame jigane, unusual for this line of smiths according to the original seller
  • Intact nakago with a single mekugi-ana, as seen in the photographs
  • Complete koshirae: iron tsuba with gold-inlaid characters, iron fittings and ishime saya
  • Comes with a full oshigata of the blade

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller does not declare the condition of the blade
  • The koshirae is described but not dated

Score breakdown

59.7/100

The score shares out 100 points: Signature and date 18 · Tang 22 · Mounting 18 · Declared condition 20 · Blade 8 · Shirasaya 4 · Price 10. 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).

  1. Signature and date 18 of 18 Signed and with an engraved date
  2. Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
  3. Mounting 1 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 70.9 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 1.7 of 10 Rank 115 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest