Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Taikei Naotane, signed with his title Chikuzen Daijō and dated the 5th month of Tenpō 12 (1841), a Bizen-inspired work with Tokubetsu Hozon papers according to the original seller.
Taikei Naotane, born in Dewa and active in Edo (Musashi), was the foremost pupil of the Suishinshi school and one of the great smiths of the shinshintō period. This katana has a nagasa of 69.5 cm and a sori of 1.52 cm. According to the original seller, it has a thick kasane, a high shinogi, deep koshizori and a chū-kissaki, giving a tachi-like sugata; a tightly forged ko-mokume jigane mixed with itame, with tobiyaki creating an utsuri-like effect; a gunome-chōji hamon with a sakaba tendency, bright ko-nie and long ashi; and a sansaku bōshi with a small turnback, in the manner of Osafune Kagemitsu. The seller places its forging in the same month as the Western-style artillery demonstration at Tokumarugahara. The photographs show an intact tang with one mekugi-ana and an even patina, signed on the omote 荘司筑前大掾直胤 (Shōji Chikuzen Daijō Naotane) with kaō, and dated on the ura 天保十二年五月日 (Tenpō jūni-nen gogatsu-hi). It comes with a gold-foiled double habaki and, according to the seller, a shirasaya. The seller states NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Strong points
- Signed and dated work by Taikei Naotane, a master of the shinshintō period
- Signature with the title Chikuzen Daijō and kaō
- Intact tang with a single mekugi-ana, as the photographs show
- Bizen-inspired work in the manner of Osafune Kagemitsu, according to the original seller
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers stated by the seller
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is offered in shirasaya, stated by the seller but not photographed
- The Tokubetsu Hozon paper does not appear in the photographs
- The listing does not describe the condition of the blade or the date of the polish
Score
87.4 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
+10
69.5 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+12.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +12.4
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
- 69.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Taikei Naotane
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 5th month of Tenpō 12 (1841)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 2,80 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,88 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,70 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,80 cm