Kantei

NH-0194 Rank 68

Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi, 2nd generation

Ōsaka katana of the Enpō era signed by the second-generation Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi, with a gunome-chōji hamon, an uchigatana-koshirae with a black-lacquered saya bearing a skeleton motif, and a declared Tokubetsu Hozon paper.

Shintō (1596-1780)Enpō era (1673–1681)SettsuNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Katana signed by the second-generation Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi, an Ōsaka smith of the Mishina school active in the early Edo period, son of the first Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi and of the lineage of Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi of Kyōto. He served the Honda family, lords of Himeji castle, hence the nickname “Himeji Yamato”; his work is rated wazamono. According to the original seller, the blade dates from the Enpō era (1673–1681), Settsu province: 75.48 cm nagasa, 1.88 cm sori, wide and thick, with a chū-kissaki. Ko-itame hada with chikei and abundant ji-nie; gunome-chōji hamon with a long yakidashi, tight chōji, undulating gunome and layered sections, with bright nie; ko-maru bōshi. The nakago appears intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana and a boldly cut signature. According to the original seller, the current polish was shown at the 2025 sword craftsmen exhibition. It comes with a gold-foiled double habaki, a shirasaya and an uchigatana-koshirae with a black ishime-ji lacquered saya decorated in kage-makie with a nozarashi (weathered bones) motif, iron fuchi-kashira of Satsuma taste, shakudō menuki of a dragon coiled around a sword, an iron tsuba with gold inlay and an iron kojiri with karakusa. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper declared.

Strong points

  • Signature of the second-generation Yamato no Kami Yoshimichi, “Himeji Yamato”, a smith rated wazamono.
  • Long (75.48 cm), wide and thick blade with a gunome-chōji hamon and a long yakidashi.
  • Intact nakago with a single mekugi-ana, as seen in the photographs.
  • Recent polish, shown at the 2025 sword craftsmen exhibition according to the original seller.
  • Complete uchigatana-koshirae with a black ishime-ji lacquered saya and bones in kage-makie, iron fittings and dragon menuki.
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper declared by the original seller.

Points to bear in mind

  • The mounting is described by the original seller but not dated; no paper or signature is recorded for the fittings.
  • The hilt wrap looks tight and clean in the photographs, possibly redone.
  • The certificate does not appear in the photographs; the Tokubetsu Hozon level is the one declared by the original seller.
  • The nakago is only seen in the full-blade photographs and in the oshigata, not in a close-up.

Score breakdown

60.1/100

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 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
  2. Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
  3. Mounting 0 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · restored: rewrapped ito
  4. Declared condition 20 of 20 Recent polish declared by the seller at origin
  5. Blade 8 of 8 75.5 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 2.1 of 10 Rank 110 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest