Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed by the first Tadayoshi of Hizen, with a tang that appears intact in the photographs, in shirasaya and with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper issued in 2024.
Katana signed 肥前国住人忠吉作 (Hizen no kuni jūnin Tadayoshi saku), a work of the first Tadayoshi of the Hizen school, one of the leading names of early shintō. According to the original seller, the smith used this form of signature from Keichō 18 to the first years of Genna, which places the blade around 1613–1618. It is a shinogi-zukuri blade with a nagasa of 69.4 cm and a sori of 1.8 cm, a motohaba of 3.01 cm, a sakihaba of 2.4 cm and a kasane of 0.7 cm at the base and 0.55 cm at the point; the photographs show a sustained width, a medium kissaki and a restrained hamon. The tang, unshortened as far as the photographs show, keeps its rounded tip, a single mekugi-ana and the signature on the omote. The blade is kept in a plain wooden shirasaya with a one-piece gilt-finish habaki and comes without koshirae. It holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, no. 1022288, dated 21 February 2024 (Reiwa 6), which records the signature and a length of 2 shaku 2 sun 9.5 bu.
Strong points
- Signature of the first Tadayoshi of Hizen, in the form the original seller places between Keichō 18 and early Genna
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (no. 1022288, 2024) reproducing the signature
- Tang intact according to the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
- Full measurements declared: nagasa 69.4 cm, sori 1.8 cm, motohaba 3.01 cm
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- The original seller does not state the condition of the blade or the date of its last polish
- The blade is not dated; the dating rests on the form of the signature
Score
65.2 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
69.4 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+0.2
Price: the more affordable, the more points +0.2
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
- 69.4 cm
- Sori
- 1.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hizen Tadayoshi
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Keichō–Genna eras (c. 1613–1618)
- Province
- Hizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,01 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,4 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,55 cm