Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katate-uchi katana by Morihide of the Kongōbyōe school of Chikuzen, Sengoku period, signed and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers; supplied in shirasaya.
A blade by Morihide, a smith of the Kongōbyōe school of Chikuzen province, active in the Sengoku period. It is a katate-uchi katana, designed for one-handed use: a short tang relative to a 69.7 cm blade with 1.5 cm of sori, shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune, a high shinogi, a blade tapering towards the point and a slightly extended chū-kissaki. According to the original seller, the jigane is a tightly forged itame tending to masame along the edge and the back, with utsuri; the hamon is a suguha of soft ko-nie with a somewhat tight nioiguchi, scattered ashi, hotsure, inazuma and nijūba, and the bōshi is straight with a ko-maru turn. The seller compares it to the work of Osafune Kiyomitsu. The photographs show a tang that appears intact, with a sotoba-jiri tip, two mekugi-ana and the signature 源盛秀作 (Minamoto Morihide saku), cut large and forcefully. The blade carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, as declared by the original seller, and is supplied in shirasaya, without mounts.
Strong points
- Signed 源盛秀作 (Minamoto Morihide saku)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers
- Katate-uchi shape typical of the Sengoku period
- Kongōbyōe school of Chikuzen
- Tang appears intact in the photographs, with a sotoba-jiri tip
Points to bear in mind
- Supplied in shirasaya only, as declared by the original seller; no koshirae
- The papers do not appear in the photographs
- The listing does not describe the blade's condition; only one composite photograph is available
- The tang has two mekugi-ana
Score
95 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
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
+10
69.7 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+30
Price: the more affordable, the more points +30
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
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Morihide
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Sengoku period (1467–1568)
- Province
- Chikuzen
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,95 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,70 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,75 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,40 cm