Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Hisahiro, a smith of Yanagawa in Chikugo, dated the 8th month of Keiō 2 (1866), in shirasaya and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Hisahiro worked in Yanagawa, Chikugo province, at the end of the Edo era. According to the original seller, he trained under Dōtanuki Munehiro within the Dōtanuki school and served as retained smith to the Tachibana clan of Yanagawa. The blade measures 74.1 cm in nagasa with 1.65 cm of sori. The original seller describes a well-balanced taper towards the point and a slightly extended kissaki, a well-forged, tight ko-itame jigane mixed with mokume, a bright suguha hamon in ko-nie with frequent ashi forming ko-midare, and a straight bōshi with a rounded turn-back. The photographs show a tang that appears intact, with its yasurime and a single mekugi-ana, signed 筑後柳河住久廣 (Chikugo Yanagawa-jū Hisahiro) on the omote and dated 慶應二年八月日 (Keiō ni-nen hachigatsu hi) on the ura. It comes in shirasaya, with a gilt copper habaki, and without koshirae. It is accompanied by NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers issued in 2017.
Strong points
- Signed and dated in the 8th month of Keiō 2 (1866)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2017)
- Tang shown intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
- Smith of the Dōtanuki line serving the Yanagawa clan, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- The listing does not mention the condition of the blade or the date of the polish
Score
110 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+15
74.1 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
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
- 74.1 cm
- Sori
- 1.7 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Yanagawa Hisahiro
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Keiō 2 (1866)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,15 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,52 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,75 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,62 cm
- Blade weight
- 871 g