Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Koyama Munetsugu, signed and dated in the 2nd month of Kōka 4 (1847), with an intact tang, declared Tokubetsu Hozon paper, kept in shirasaya.
Koyama Munetsugu, born in Shirakawa (Ōshū) in 1803, trained in Edo under Katō Tsunatoshi and served as smith to the Kuwana clan; he received the title Bizen no Suke in 1845 and his blades were famed for their cutting ability. According to the original seller, he made this katana at the age of 45. The photographs show a shinogi-zukuri blade with a deep sori and chū-kissaki, an elegant tachi-like silhouette, 70.6 cm in nagasa with 1.97 cm of sori. The original seller describes a tightly forged ko-itame jigane with ji-nie and chikei, and a suguha hamon with slight gunome, white nie and abundant nezumi-ashi. The tang, intact according to the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana, bears the signature 固山備前介宗次作之 (Koyama Bizen no Suke Munetsugu kore o saku) and on the ura the date 弘化四年二月日 (Kōka yonen nigatsu hi). Gold-foiled double habaki. The blade is kept in shirasaya, according to the listing, and the original seller declares NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper.
Strong points
- Signed and dated work (1847) by Koyama Munetsugu bearing the title Bizen no Suke
- Intact tang with a single mekugi-ana and a crisp signature
- Elegant shape with deep sori and chū-kissaki
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the original seller
- Gold-foiled double habaki
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is kept in shirasaya, declared in the listing but not photographed
- The paper does not appear in the photographs
- The original seller does not expressly state the condition of the polish or the blade
Score
91.4 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
70.6 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+16.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +16.4
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
- 70.6 cm
- Sori
- 2 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Koyama Munetsugu
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Kōka 4 (1847)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 2,88 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,82 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,70 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,79 cm