Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed by Sukemune, a Shimada-school smith active in Settsu in the mid-Edo period, with a large gunome hamon and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers. Kept in shirasaya.
Katana by Sukemune, a smith of the Shimada school who, according to the original seller, is held to have been a pupil of Tsuda Sukehiro and moved from Suruga to Settsu, where he worked in the mid-Edo period. The blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, of standard width and thickness, with a slight taper towards the point, moderate sori and a somewhat compact chū-kissaki. The photographs show a hamon of large gunome along the whole blade; the original seller describes it as starting straight at the base, with deep nioi, ashi, plentiful ko-nie and tobiyaki, over a tight ko-itame jigane with some visible mokume areas and fine ji-nie, and a straight bōshi with a ko-maru turn-back of some length. The tang is ubu, with sujikai yasurime and a kurijiri tip; the machi has been slightly moved up and there are three mekugi-ana, one of them a spare. Signature on the omote: 摂州住助宗 (Sesshū-jū Sukemune). The blade is kept in shirasaya with its bag and a double habaki of copper with gold foil. According to the original seller, it comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2023) and an older Tokubetsu Kichō Tōken certificate (1974).
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, according to the original seller
- Ubu tang signed 摂州住助宗 (Sesshū-jū Sukemune)
- Large gunome hamon with deep nioi and tobiyaki, according to the original seller
- Shimada-school smith linked to Tsuda Sukehiro, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Old polish with some slightly clouded areas, according to the original seller
- Machi slightly moved up (machi-okuri); one of the three mekugi-ana is a spare
- No mounting: the blade is kept in shirasaya
- The papers do not appear in the photographs
Score
54.5 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−20
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
−10
The original seller declares flaws 0 · minor flaws −10
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+5
68.3 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+24.5
Price: the more affordable, the more points +24.5
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
- 68.3 cm
- Sori
- 1.6 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Sukemune
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Mid-Edo period
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Minor flaws declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,17 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,66 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,46 cm
- Blade weight
- 696 g