Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Bizen Osafune katana dated Tenshō 6 (1578), signed with an ubu tang, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, kasen-style mounting and shirasaya.
A blade of the Osafune school of Bizen, the great sword-producing centre of the Sengoku period, forged by a Kiyomitsu and dated to the eighth month of Tenshō 6 (1578). The tang is signed 備前国住長船甚六清光作之 (Bizen no kuni-jū Osafune Jinroku Kiyomitsu kore o saku) on the omote and dated 天正六年八月吉日 (Tenshō rokunen hachigatsu kichijitsu) on the ura. The photographs show an intact tang with a single mekugi-ana and a kurijiri tip, as well as the carvings: a sankoken sword with the bonji of Fudō Myōō on the omote and gomabashi on the ura. Nagasa 69.7 cm, sori 1.0 cm, with an extended kissaki. According to the original seller, the jigane is itame mixed with mokume and chikei, with utsuri; the hamon is a ko-nie suguha with abundant ashi; the bōshi is suguha with a ko-maru turnback. It comes with a mounting the seller describes as modelled on the kasen type, with a leather-wrapped tsuka, an iron tsuba with an inlaid rim and a lacquered saya, and, per the listing, a shirasaya. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared by the seller.
Strong points
- Signed and dated Tenshō 6 (1578)
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Sankoken with bonji and gomabashi carvings
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper
- Kasen-style mounting and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The mounting is undated: the seller describes it as modelled on the kasen type
- The shirasaya and the paper are stated in the listing but not shown in the photographs
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade
Score
102.9 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
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+10
69.7 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+7.9
Price: the more affordable, the more points +7.9
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
- 69.7 cm
- Sori
- 1 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Osafune Kiyomitsu
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 8th month of Tenshō 6 (1578)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,15 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,2 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,78 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,43 cm
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