Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Osaka shintō katana signed 越後守包貞 (Echigo no Kami Kanesada), around the Kanbun era, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, kept in shirasaya.
Katana from Settsu province by Echigo no Kami Kanesada, one of the great Osaka smiths of the Shintō period. The original seller attributes it to the second generation, pupil and adopted son of the first, known for a deep-nioiguchi midareba that rivalled Tsuda Sukehiro and Inoue Shinkai, and places it around the Kanbun era. The blade measures 71.4 cm in nagasa with 1.2 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.19 cm, a kasane of 0.78 cm and a weight of 780 g: a wide, robust body with a slightly extended kissaki. According to the original seller, the jigane is a tightly forged ko-mokume, the hamon starts in suguha from the hamachi and continues in gunome-midare with soft nioi, and the bōshi turns back in a round curve. The tang, with a single mekugi-ana and intact-looking in the photographs, bears the signature 越後守包貞 (Echigo no Kami Kanesada) on the omote. It is presented in shirasaya with a gold-foiled double habaki, without koshirae. It comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate no. 141699, dated 13 February Heisei 9 (1997), which records 長二尺三寸五分 (naga ni-shaku san-zun go-bu).
Strong points
- NBTHK 特別保存刀剣 (tokubetsu hozon tōken) certificate, no. 141699
- Signed 越後守包貞 (Echigo no Kami Kanesada), a leading smith of the Osaka school
- Wide, robust 71.4 cm blade with a lively midareba
- Intact-looking tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Gold-foiled double habaki and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade
- The second generation is the original seller's attribution; the paper does not specify the generation
- No koshirae: the blade is presented in shirasaya only
Score
77.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
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
+10
71.4 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+12.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +12.4
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
- 71.4 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kanbun era (1661–1673)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,19 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,06 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,78 cm
- Blade weight
- 780 g