Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi, second generation according to the original seller, from Settsu province around the Enpō era, with Tokubetsu Hozon papers and a black-lacquered uchigatana mounting.
Katana by Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi, of the second generation according to the original seller: an Ōsaka smith of the Tanba Yoshimichi line, active in Settsu province around the Enpō era and known as “Himeji Yamato” for his service to the Honda of Himeji. The blade has a nagasa of 75.48 cm and a sori of 1.88 cm, with thick kasane, a wide mihaba and a chū-kissaki. According to the seller, the jigane is ko-itame with chikei and abundant ji-nie, and the hamon a gunome-chōji midare in bright nie; the photographs show the long yakidashi from which it starts. The bōshi, slightly notare, turns back in komaru. The tang, which the photographs show intact with a single mekugi-ana, is signed 大和守吉道 (Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi) with a broad chisel. It comes with a gold-foiled double habaki and, according to the listing, a shirasaya. The uchigatana mounting has a black ishime-ji lacquered saya with kage-makie of a skull among grasses (nozarashi), an iron Satsuma-style fuchi-kashira, shakudō menuki of a dragon coiled around a sword, an iron kojiri with arabesques and an iron tsuba with gold nunome. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, according to the seller.
Strong points
- Signed 大和守吉道 (Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi) on an intact tang with a single mekugi-ana.
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, according to the original seller.
- Gunome-chōji midare in bright nie over a long yakidashi.
- Uchigatana mounting with a black-lacquered saya and nozarashi kage-makie (a skull among grasses).
- Polish shown at the 2025 exhibition of contemporary sword craftsmen, according to the original seller.
Points to bear in mind
- The NBTHK paper does not appear in the photographs.
- The shirasaya is stated in the listing but not photographed.
- The mounting is undated; in the photographs the ito and sageo appear to have been redone.
Score
102.4 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
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Declared condition
−10
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20 · recent polish +10
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Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
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Mounting
−5
Mounting described, undated +5 · rewrapped ito −5 · new sageo −5
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Blade
+15
75.5 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
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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
- 75.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.9 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Enpō era (1673–1681)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Recent polish declared by the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,18 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,21 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,73 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,70 cm
- Length when mounted
- 107,57 cm
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