Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Izumi no Kami Kunisada, forged in Ōsaka in the early Edo period, with a declared NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper and presented in shirasaya.
Katana signed 於大阪和泉守国貞作之 (Ōsaka ni oite Izumi no Kami Kunisada kore o saku), of the Izumi no Kami Kunisada line, one of the founders of sword making in Ōsaka at the beginning of the Edo period. The original seller attributes it to the first Kunisada and regards it as an early work. Shinogi-zukuri blade with a high iori-mune and a low shinogi, a rather restrained sori and a slightly extended chū-kissaki; nagasa 74.6 cm, sori 1.2 cm. According to the original seller, the jigane is a very tight ko-itame with some masame towards the mune, and the hamon, in fine nie, is an irregular gunome on a notare base that widens towards the top, with tobiyaki around the monouchi; the bōshi is a broad notare with a komaru turn-back and light muneyaki. The photographs show a wide, undulating hamon on both sides. The tang has a machi-okuri of about 2.7 cm declared by the seller, with the signature intact and two mekugi-ana; the seller estimates an original length close to 78 cm. According to the listing it comes in shirasaya, without mounting, with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper declared by the original seller.
Strong points
- Full signature naming Ōsaka, cut with a thick chisel and a vigorous hand.
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, according to the original seller.
- Long blade, 74.6 cm nagasa, with a wide gunome-on-notare hamon.
- Signature unaltered despite the machi-okuri, according to the original seller.
Points to bear in mind
- Machi-okuri of about 2.7 cm: the blade was slightly shortened from the machi, although the signature was not touched.
- No mounting; the shirasaya is stated in the listing but no photograph shows it.
- The attribution to the first Kunisada is the original seller's; the paper does not appear in the photographs.
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade.
Score
53 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−10
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10
-
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
+15
74.6 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+13
Price: the more affordable, the more points +13
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
- 74.6 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Early Edo period (17th century)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,2 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,15 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,55 cm