Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana of the Fujishima school of Kaga, signed 藤嶋友重 (Fujishima Tomoshige), from the Nanbokuchō to early Muromachi period, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers and a new shirasaya.
Katana by Fujishima Tomoshige, a smith of Kaga province whose school, according to the original seller, is linked to the Shikkake line of Yamato. The blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, of standard width and thickness, with a deep curvature, saki-zori and a chū-kissaki; it measures 71 cm in nagasa with 2.0 cm of sori. According to the original seller, the jigane is itame mixed with nagare-hada and mokume, with ji-nie and a slightly dark tone; the hamon is gunome midare with kaku-ba and togari-ba, richly covered in nie; the bōshi is midare-komi turning back in ko-maru. The tang has been shortened (suriage), with a kiri end and three mekugi-ana, as the photographs show; it retains on the omote the signature 藤嶋友重 (Fujishima Tomoshige), which the seller describes as larger than this smith's usual signature. The blade is freshly polished and housed in a new shirasaya with a silver-plated copper habaki. It comes with a naval-style sabre mounting of the early 20th century bearing a tachibana mon. It carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers issued in 2023.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers (2023)
- Blade signed 藤嶋友重 (Fujishima Tomoshige), Nanbokuchō to early Muromachi
- Recent polish; condition stated as good by the original seller
- New shirasaya with a silver-plated copper habaki
Points to bear in mind
- Shortened tang (suriage) with three mekugi-ana
- The mounting is a naval-style military sabre, not a traditional koshirae
- The shirasaya and tsunagi are new
Score
98.6 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−30
Shortened tang (suriage) −20 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
+40
Healthy according to the original seller +30 · recent polish +10
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
71 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+23.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points +23.6
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
- 71 cm
- Sori
- 2 cm
- Tang
- Shortened tang (suriage)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Fujishima Tomoshige
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Nanbokuchō to early Muromachi (14th–15th c.)
- Province
- Kaga
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Recent polish declared by the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,65 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,12 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,66 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,40 cm
- Blade weight
- 712,5 g