Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Fujiwara Munekiyo of Kokura in Buzen, dated the second month of Meiji 2 (1869), with an ubu tang, in shirasaya and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana forged by Fujiwara Munekiyo, a smith working in Kokura, Buzen province, at the close of the shinshintō period. The tang bears on the omote the signature 豊前小倉住藤原宗清 (Buzen Kokura-jū Fujiwara Munekiyo) and on the ura the date 明治二年二月日 (Meiji ni-nen nigatsu hi), the second month of 1869. The original seller states the tang is ubu, and the photographs confirm it: a continuous rounded tip, regular file marks and a single mekugi-ana. The blade, 68.78 cm in nagasa with 1.21 cm of sori, is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune and no hi; it measures 3.06 cm wide at the base and 0.68 cm thick, and weighs 725 g. The original seller describes an itame jigane, a nie-deki gunome midare hamon with kinsuji and a midarekomi bōshi with a turn-back; the photographs show the undulating line of the hamon. According to the original seller it has a two-piece silver habaki, and it is kept in a shirasaya, visible in the photographs. There is no koshirae. The original seller declares NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, which do not appear in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 明治二年二月日 (Meiji ni-nen nigatsu hi), second month of 1869
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, according to the original seller
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana, confirmed in the photographs
- Nie-deki gunome midare hamon with kinsuji, according to the original seller
- Kept in shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade comes in shirasaya only
- The listing does not mention the blade's condition or the date of its polish
- The NBTHK papers do not appear in the photographs
Score
104.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
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
+5
68.8 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+29.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +29.4
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
- 68.8 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Fujiwara Munekiyo
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Meiji 2 (1869)
- Province
- Buzen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,06 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,04 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,68 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,46 cm
- Blade weight
- 725 g