Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by the second-generation Yasutsugu, a Shimosaka school smith working in Edo, designated Jūyō Tōken by the NBTHK; signed ubu tang, and shirasaya according to the original seller.
Katana by the second-generation Yasutsugu of the Shimosaka school, active in Edo (Musashi) in the early Edo period. The blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, wide and with a high shinogi, a pronounced koshi-zori and a chū-kissaki, a silhouette reminiscent of a tachi. According to the original seller, the forging is a fine, tightly packed itame mixed with mokume, and the hamon follows the "konotegashiwa" style: chū-suguha with notare on the omote, and a box-like midare with gunome and chōji on the ura, with ashi, yō, konie, kinsuji and sunagashi. The photographs show the carvings: gomabashi on the omote and a ken on the ura. The tang is ubu, with one mekugi-ana, and is signed 康継入道以南蛮鉄於武州江戸作之 (Yasutsugu nyūdō nanbantetsu o motte Bushū Edo ni oite kore o tsukuru). It was designated Jūyō Tōken at the 60th NBTHK session (2014). The original seller also reports a sayagaki by Tanobe Tanzan praising it as one of the smith's masterpieces, its publication in the Yasutsugu Taikan, a one-piece gilt habaki and a shirasaya. It is offered without koshirae.
Strong points
- Designated Jūyō Tōken (60th NBTHK session, 2014)
- Ubu tang signed by the second-generation Yasutsugu
- Different hamon on each side, in the "konotegashiwa" style, according to the original seller
- Gomabashi and ken carvings visible in the photographs
- Sayagaki by Tanobe Tanzan and publication in the Yasutsugu Taikan, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without koshirae; the shirasaya is stated in writing only and does not appear in the photographs
- The NBTHK paper, the sayagaki and the habaki do not appear in the photographs
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade
Score
153.9 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+140
NBTHK Jūyō paper +140
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Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
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Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
73.7 cm: within the usable range +10
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
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Price
−6.1
Price: the more affordable, the more points −6.1
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
- 73.7 cm
- Sori
- 2.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Jūyō
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Echizen Yasutsugu
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kan'ei era (1624–1644)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,2 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,06 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,71 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,43 cm