The piece
Early Edo shintō katana signed by Ōmi no Kami Hisamichi, in shirasaya, with a solid gold habaki and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
A shintō-period katana, placed by the original seller in the early Edo period, signed on the tang 近江守源久道 (Ōmi no Kami Minamoto no Hisamichi). The blade has a nagasa of 70.6 cm and a sori of 1.4 cm, a width of 3 cm at the base and 2 cm at the tip, and weighs 668 g. According to the original seller, the jigane is masame-hada and the hamon a gunome midare with ashi, deep nie and a bright nioiguchi; the blade shows no rust or chips and is declared free of flaws. The tang, with a kurijiri tip and a single mekugi-ana, appears intact in the photographs. The blade is kept in shirasaya and fitted with a solid gold habaki, 金無垢 (kin-muku), visible in the photograph. It has no koshirae. It comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, shown in the photograph next to the blade.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Signed 近江守源久道 (Ōmi no Kami Minamoto no Hisamichi)
- Solid gold habaki
- Declared free of rust, chips and flaws by the original seller
- Intact tang with a single mekugi-ana, per the photographs
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- Undated: the period comes from the original seller's listing
- A single overall photograph; no close-ups of the blade or tang
Score
127.5 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
70.6 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+12.5
Price: the more affordable, the more points +12.5
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
- 1.4 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hisamichi
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Early Edo period (17th century)
- Province
- Omi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,6 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,3 cm
- Blade weight
- 668 g