Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Sengoku-period katana signed 泰信作 (Yasunobu saku), from the Kaifu school of Awa province, shortened with a careful suriage that preserves the signature. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, in shirasaya.
Katana by Yasunobu, a smith of the Kaifu school of Awa province (present-day Tokushima), forged in the Sengoku period according to the original seller. It measures 70.4 cm in nagasa with 0.8 cm of sori; the blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, a broad and fairly high shinogi, shallow curvature, taper towards the point and a chū-kissaki. According to the original seller, the jigane is a large, even itame that flows towards the mune and the edge, and the hamon is a ko-midare on a suguha base with abundant nie and varied ashi; the bōshi is a deep suguha with a long kaeri on the omote and midare-komi on the ura. The tang was shortened by about 8.8 cm (suriage); the photographs show two mekugi-ana, a straight nakago-jiri and the signature 泰信作 (Yasunobu saku) on the omote, its left side grazed by the cut. The original seller stresses that the shortening was done with the minimum work needed to keep the signature. The blade carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, according to the seller, and is kept in a shirasaya, declared in the listing.
Strong points
- Signature 泰信作 (Yasunobu saku) preserved on the tang
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, according to the original seller
- Ko-midare hamon with abundant nie, according to the original seller
- Kaifu school of Awa, Sengoku period
Points to bear in mind
- Tang shortened (suriage) by about 8.8 cm; the left side of the signature is grazed by the cut
- No mounting: the blade is kept in a shirasaya, declared in the listing but not photographed
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
- The paper does not appear in the photographs
Score
53.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−20
Shortened tang (suriage) −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
70.4 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+28.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +28.4
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
- 70.4 cm
- Sori
- 0.8 cm
- Tang
- Shortened tang (suriage)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Kaifu Yasunobu
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Sengoku period (late Muromachi)
- Province
- Awa
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,85 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,65 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,45 cm