Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed by Onizuka Yoshikuni, a smith of Yanagawa in Chikugo, from the early Edo period, with a declared NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper and kept in shirasaya.
Katana by Onizuka Yoshikuni, a smith of Yanagawa in Chikugo province, active at the beginning of the Edo period. The original seller notes that Yanagawa was the domain of Tachibana Muneshige and places the blade in the early to first half of Edo. Shinogi-zukuri with an iori mune, modest sori, taper towards the point and a chū-kissaki; nagasa 68.0 cm, sori 1.21 cm. According to the original seller, the jigane is a very tight ko-itame mixed with some itame, and the hamon a suguha with a soft nioiguchi, showing a matching nijūba on both sides around the middle; the bōshi runs straight and ends in a ko-maru with a short kaeri. The photographs show a tang that appears intact, with a kurijiri tip and two mekugi-ana, signed on the omote 筑州柳川住鬼塚吉國 (Chikushū Yanagawa-jū Onizuka Yoshikuni). The original seller declares an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, not photographed, and states that the blade is kept in shirasaya; no mounting is recorded.
Strong points
- Long, legible signature: 筑州柳川住鬼塚吉國 (Chikushū Yanagawa-jū Onizuka Yoshikuni)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, according to the original seller
- Suguha hamon with a matching nijūba on both sides, according to the original seller
- Tang that appears intact in the photographs, with a kurijiri tip
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without a mounting; the shirasaya is only stated in the listing and does not appear in the photographs
- The paper is not photographed
- The listing does not state the blade's condition and there is only one overview photograph
- The tang has two mekugi-ana
Score
78.6 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+5
68 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+18.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points +18.6
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
- 68 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Onizuka Yoshikuni
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Genna era (1615–1624)
- Province
- Chikugo
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,9 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,8 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,45 cm