Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Votive Hizen katana forged in gassaku by Ise Daijō Yoshihiro and his two sons, dated Kanbun 13 (1673), 86.4 cm long with an ubu tang, in an old shirasaya.
A votive katana forged in gassaku by three Hizen smiths: Ise Daijō Yoshihiro, a pupil of the first Tadayoshi according to the original seller, and his two sons. The tang, ubu with a single mekugi-ana, bears on the omote the signature 願主 (ganshu) 肥前国伊勢大掾藤原吉広 (Hizen no kuni Ise Daijō Fujiwara Yoshihiro) 嫡男 (chakunan) 越前大掾藤原氏広 (Echizen Daijō Fujiwara Ujihiro) 二男 (jinan) 吉左衛門尉広永 (Kichizaemon no Jō Hironaga). The ura carries a long dedication to the Shimen-gū shrine, with prayers for fortune in arms, long life and the prosperity of descendants, and the date 寛文十三年癸丑二月吉日 (Kanbun jūsan-nen mizunoto-ushi nigatsu kichijitsu). It is an imposing blade: nagasa 86.4 cm, sori 2.1 cm, motohaba 3.85 cm and, per the seller, torii-zori and an ō-kissaki of about 6 cm. The photographs show a gunome-chōji hamon of strongly varying height; the seller describes abundant ko-nie, tightly forged ko-itame jigane and a togatte kaeru bōshi. It is kept in an old shirasaya with a wooden habaki, without mountings. The original seller declares NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Strong points
- Joint work (gassaku) by three Hizen smiths, father and two sons, signed by all three
- Votive sword with a shrine dedication and date inscribed on the tang, Kanbun 13 (1673)
- Imposing blade, 86.4 cm nagasa, with an ubu tang
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- No mountings: kept only in an old shirasaya with a wooden habaki
- Old polish; according to the original seller it does not show all of the blade's qualities
- The original seller notes somewhat rough areas in the jigane
- The papers do not appear in the photographs
Score
102.9 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
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Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−10
The original seller declares flaws 0 · minor flaws −10
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Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
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Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+15
86.4 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+7.9
Price: the more affordable, the more points +7.9
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
- 86.4 cm
- Sori
- 2.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Ise Daijō Yoshihiro
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Kanbun 13 (1673)
- Province
- Hizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Minor flaws declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,85 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,8 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,8 cm