Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Bizen Osafune katana signed by Kiyomitsu and dated to the 2nd month of Tenbun 22 (1553), with koshirae, shirasaya and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana of the Osafune school in Bizen province, signed and dated on the tang. The omote bears the signature 備前国住長船清光作之 (Bizen no Kuni-jū Osafune Kiyomitsu kore o saku) and the ura the date 天文廿二年二月吉日 (Tenbun nijūni-nen nigatsu kichijitsu), the second month of 1553, in the Muromachi period. On the basis of the date and the workmanship, the original seller attributes it to Gorōzaemon Kiyomitsu; the paper certifies the signature without specifying a generation. The blade measures 70.0 cm in nagasa with 2.6 cm of sori and bo-hi on both sides, and the seller stresses its robustness: 0.9 cm of kasane at the base. The photographs show a tang with an intact tip and three mekugi-ana. It comes with a koshirae, with a black lacquered saya of crackled texture whose end is decorated with golden flames, a pierced iron tsuba, fuchi-kashira with waves in relief and a black-wrapped tsuka, and with a plain wooden shirasaya. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, issued in May 2023.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 2nd month of Tenbun 22 (1553)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
- Robust Bizen Osafune blade, 0.9 cm kasane at the base
- Complete koshirae and shirasaya
- Tang with intact tip, legible signature and date
Points to bear in mind
- The listing does not state the condition or the polish of the blade
- The mounting is neither dated nor described by the seller; it is documented only by the photographs, with visible wear on the fittings
- The attribution to Gorōzaemon Kiyomitsu is the original seller's; the paper does not specify the generation
- The tang has three mekugi-ana
Score
96.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+10
Tang intact according to the photographs +20 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
0
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0
-
Blade
+10
70 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+16.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +16.4
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
- 70 cm
- Sori
- 2.6 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Osafune Kiyomitsu
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Tenbun 22 (1553)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,15 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,38 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,9 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,6 cm
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing