Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Yasuki Suketoshi, a smith of Awa province, dated 1819, with an intact tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Kept in shirasaya.
Katana forged by Yasuki Suketoshi, a smith of Awa province who served the Hachisuka clan according to the original seller, and who is highly regarded locally as a regional swordsmith. The omote of the tang bears the signature 阿波住安喜佐寿 (Awa-jū Yasuki Suketoshi) and the ura the date 文政二年八月日 (Bunsei ni-nen hachigatsu hi), the eighth month of 1819. The photographs show an intact tang with its original tip and a single mekugi-ana. The blade measures 69.87 cm in nagasa with 1.12 cm of sori. According to the original seller, the jigane is a well-forged, tight mokume that stands out slightly in places and is free of flaws, with a bright suguha hamon tending towards a broad notare, widening below the yokote and ending in a generous bōshi with a round tip. The blade has a gold-foiled copper habaki and is kept in shirasaya; it has no mounting. It was registered in February 1951, among the earliest registrations, and the original seller suggests, as a hypothesis, that it came from the Hachisuka collection. The NBTHK awarded it Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers in 2018.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2018)
- Signed and dated 1819, intact tang according to the photographs
- Bright suguha hamon with an ample bōshi, according to the original seller
- Early registration of February 1951 and gold-foiled copper habaki
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller declares a spot around the middle of the blade where the edge appears to have been struck; a partial polish would address it.
- Offered in shirasaya only, without a mounting.
- The Hachisuka provenance is the original seller's supposition, not a documented fact.
Score
115 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
−10
The original seller declares flaws 0 · minor flaws −10
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
69.9 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+30
Price: the more affordable, the more points +30
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
- 1.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Yasuki Suketoshi
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Bunsei 2 (1819)
- Province
- Awa
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Localised flaw declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,00 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,53 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,76 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,61 cm
- Blade weight
- 763 g