Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Edo-period katana signed 丹波守吉道 (Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi), of the Osaka branch, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, a lacquered mounting and a shirasaya.
Katana signed on the tang 丹波守吉道 (Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi), attributed by the papers to the Osaka branch, in Settsu province. According to the original seller, the smith was the second son of the first Kyoto Yoshimichi, also worked in Fushimi, and the blade dates to around the Jōō era (c. 1652). It measures 69.9 cm in nagasa with 1.3 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.21 cm and a sakihaba of 2.38 cm. The seller describes the hamon as a broken sudare-ba (kuzure sudare-ba) with nie. The photographs show a tang that appears intact, with two mekugi-ana and the signature on the omote. It comes with a koshirae: a black saya in textured lacquer, a tsuka with dark blue ito over same, a lobed iron tsuba inlaid with autumn grasses and a dragonfly, and fuchi-kashira and menuki with warrior figures in gold; the listing neither describes nor dates this mounting. The blade is also kept in its shirasaya. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, no. 1018461, is dated the eighth month of Reiwa 4 (2022).
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (no. 1018461, 2022)
- Signed 丹波守吉道 (Tanba no Kami Yoshimichi), Osaka branch
- Tang of intact appearance with two mekugi-ana, per the photographs
- Complete koshirae with inlaid iron tsuba and gold warrior fuchi-kashira
- Also kept in a shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller does not state the condition or polish of the blade
- The mounting is neither described nor dated by the seller; it is known only from the photographs
- The ito, tight and clean, appears to have been redone
Score
99.5 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−5
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0 · rewrapped ito −5
-
Blade
+10
69.9 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+24.5
Price: the more affordable, the more points +24.5
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
- 69.9 cm
- Sori
- 1.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Ōsaka Yoshimichi
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Jōō era (1652–1655)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,21 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,38 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,55 cm
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