Kantei

NH-0280 Rank 36

Koyama Munetoshi

Katana signed and dated Bunkyū 3 (1863) by Koyama Munetoshi of Shirakawa (Mutsu), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate, a complete spider-web themed koshirae and a shirasaya.

Shintō (1596-1780)8th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863)MutsuNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Katana by Koyama Munetoshi, a smith of Shirakawa in Mutsu province whom the original seller places within the family of Koyama Munetsugu, a master of the late Edo period; the seller identifies him as the second of two smiths of that name, active between 1854 and 1868. Shinshintō blade with a nagasa of 71.85 cm and a sori of 1.4 cm, of thick kasane, with ko-itame jigane and a gunome hamon rich in ashi; the seller declares it free of any flaw in ji and ha, and the photographs show a clean polish. The tang is ubu with a single mekugi-ana, signed Mutsu Shirakawa jū Koyama Munetoshi and dated the 8th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863). It is mounted in an uchigatana koshirae with a red-brown ishime lacquered saya, a large kojiri with scrolling foliage, a round tsuba and fuchi-kashira decorated with spider webs, spiders and a wasp, a tsuka with same and brown wrap, and a gilt copper habaki; the seller states that no part has been replaced and that it has accompanied the blade, though without dating it. It comes with a shirasaya and tsunagi, the NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate and a 1984 certificate from a Japanese collectors' association.

Strong points

  • Signed and dated: 8th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863); ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, legible in the photographs
  • Complete koshirae with spider-web fittings and a large decorated kojiri, with no replaced parts according to the original seller
  • Robust 71.85 cm blade, declared flawless by the original seller
  • Includes a shirasaya with tsunagi and a second certificate from 1984

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller describes the mounting but does not date it
  • The 1984 certificate comes from a private association and is no substitute for the NBTHK paper

Score breakdown

65.7/100

The score shares out 100 points: Signature and date 18 · Tang 22 · Mounting 18 · Declared condition 20 · Blade 8 · Shirasaya 4 · Price 10. 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).

  1. Signature and date 18 of 18 Signed and with an engraved date
  2. Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
  3. Mounting 1 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
  4. Declared condition 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
  5. Blade 8 of 8 71.9 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 1.7 of 10 Rank 116 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest