Kantei

NH-0292 Rank 100

Hōki no Kami Masayoshi

Katana signed and dated 2nd month of Kansei 11 (1799) by Hōki no Kami Masayoshi, a Satsuma master of the shinshintō period, with Tokubetsu Hozon paper, ubu nakago and koshirae.

Shintō (1596-1780)2nd month of Kansei 11 (1799)SatsumaNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Hōki no Kami Masayoshi (1733–1819), official smith to the Shimazu clan and, together with Motohira, one of the two leading figures of the Satsuma school in the shinshintō period, signed this katana with the honorary title he received in 1789. According to the original seller, the blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, showing an itame jihada with areas of mokume, Satsuma-gane and abundant ji-nie; the hamon is a notare-midare in nie-deki crossed by thick inazuma, the imozuru typical of the school. Nagasa 70.9 cm, sori 1.5 cm. The nakago, ubu according to the seller and intact in appearance in the photographs, keeps two mekugi-ana and bears the signature 伯耆守平朝臣正幸 on the omote and the date 2nd month of Kansei 11 (1799) on the ura. The photographs also show a shirasaya with sayagaki and a koshirae with an iron tsuba, a tsuka in green ito over same and a black lacquered saya, neither described nor dated in writing. The NBTHK awarded it Tokubetsu Hozon on 21 February 2024 (paper no. 1022305, photographed).

Strong points

  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2024), photographed
  • Signed with the Hōki no Kami title and dated Kansei 11 (1799)
  • Ubu nakago with two mekugi-ana
  • Imozuru and Satsuma-gane, hallmarks of the Satsuma school
  • Comes with koshirae and a shirasaya with sayagaki

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller neither describes nor dates the koshirae; the lacquered saya, ito and sageo look recent
  • The original listing does not state the condition of the blade
  • The tsuba signature is not legible in the photographs

Score breakdown

54.7/100

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 seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana
  3. Mounting -6 of 18 Mounting documented only in the photographs · restored: relacquered or new saya, rewrapped ito and new sageo
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 70.9 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 3.7 of 10 Rank 88 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest