Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Early Shintō katana made jointly by the second and third generations of Nobutaka of Owari, with an ubu tang, shirasaya bearing a sayagaki by Tanzan, and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
A father-and-son collaboration from the Nobutaka line of Owari, dating from the early Shintō period. The omote of the tang bears the signature 伯耆守藤原信高 (Hōki no Kami Fujiwara Nobutaka), of the third generation, and the ura 前伯州信高入道 (Zen Hakushū Nobutaka Nyūdō), of the second, as recorded on the paper. There is no inscribed date; the original seller and the sayagaki place it in the Kanbun and Enpō eras. Nagasa 70.8 cm, sori 1.7 cm: shinogi-zukuri with a chūkissaki, high shinogi and low iori-mune. According to the original seller, the jigane is a tightly forged ko-itame with fine chikei, and the hamon a bright nie-based gunome-chōji midare with ashi, yō, kinsuji and sunagashi; the photographs show its undulating outline and a rounded bōshi turn-back. The tang is ubu, with a kurijiri tip, ō-sujikai yasurime and two mekugi-ana. Silver-foiled copper habaki. The blade is kept in a shirasaya with a sayagaki by Tanzan and comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers. It is offered without koshirae.
Strong points
- Joint work by two generations of Nobutaka, with one signature on each side of the tang
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Ubu tang with kurijiri tip and two mekugi-ana
- Shirasaya with a sayagaki by Tanzan
- The original seller describes blade and temper as healthy, without major flaws
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: offered in shirasaya only.
- Old polish according to the original seller; the photographs show fine surface scratches.
- No inscribed date: the Kanbun–Enpō dating is an estimate by the original seller and the sayagaki.
Score
140.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana +25
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
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
+20.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +20.4
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
- 1.7 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kanbun and Enpō eras (1661–1681)
- Province
- Owari
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,07 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,23 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,74 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,56 cm