Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by the second-generation Masahiro of Hizen, with an ubu tang signed with his title Kawachi no Kami and NBTHK Jūyō Tōken papers (18th session, 1969), in shirasaya.
Katana by Kawachi no Kami Masahiro, the second generation of the Masahiro line in Hizen, of the Tadayoshi school. According to the NBTHK description, he was the son of Kawachi Daijō Masahiro, first signed as Musashi no Kami Masanaga and, after his father's death in Kanbun 5 (1665), received the title Kawachi no Kami and took the name Masahiro; he is regarded as fully his father's equal. Shinogi-zukuri blade with iori-mune, nagasa 70.8 cm, sori 2.0 cm and an extended chū-kissaki. According to the original seller and the papers, the jigane is a very tightly forged ko-itame with ji-nie, and the hamon a suguha undulating into notare, with ko-ashi, deep nioi, abundant ko-nie and a bright nioiguchi; ko-maru bōshi. The tang is ubu with one mekugi-ana, as the photographs confirm, and carries the titled signature 肥前国河内守藤氏正広 (Hizen no kuni Kawachi no Kami Tōshi Masahiro). Designated Jūyō Tōken by the NBTHK at the 18th session (1969); the certificate and the designation book page appear in the photographs. Offered in shirasaya, without mountings.
Strong points
- NBTHK Jūyō Tōken papers, 18th session (1969), photographed
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana and titled juryō signature
- A typical suguha work of the Hizen school, according to the NBTHK
- Second-generation Masahiro, son of Kawachi Daijō Masahiro
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- The original seller does not state the blade's condition or the date of its last polish
Score
157.6 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+140
NBTHK Jūyō paper +140
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
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
70.8 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−2.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points −2.4
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
- 70.8 cm
- Sori
- 2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Jūyō
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hizen Masahiro
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- After Kanbun 5 (1665)
- Province
- Hizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,2 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,3 cm