Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Nagasone Kotetsu, c. Kanbun 5 (1665), with a gold-inlaid cutting test by Yamano Kanjūrō Hisahide, designated Jūyō Tōken at the 45th NBTHK session.
Katana by Nagasone Kotetsu, the great Edo smith of the shintō period, who came to swordmaking from armour. Signed on the omote 長曽祢興里入道乕徹 (Nagasone Okisato Nyūdō Kotetsu), with the form of the «tora» character he adopted around Kanbun 4. The ura bears a gold-inlaid saidan-mei with the tester's kaō: 寛文五年極月十日 (Kanbun go-nen gokugetsu tōka), 両車雁金両度切落 (ryōguruma karigane ryōdo kiriotosu) and 山野勘十郎久英 (Yamano Kanjūrō Hisahide), that is, two cuts through the hip and armpit, performed in the 12th month of 1665, a date that places the forging around that year. Shinogi-zukuri blade with shallow sori and small kissaki, typical of Kanbun. According to the original seller, fine ko-itame with ji-nie and chikei, and a bright suguha hamon in konie with ko-gunome and ko-ashi. The tang is ubu with a single mekugi-ana, according to the paper and the photographs. Designated Jūyō Tōken at the 45th NBTHK session (1999); kept in shirasaya with a sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro and a two-piece gilt habaki.
Strong points
- Jūyō Tōken, 45th NBTHK session (1999)
- Kotetsu signature with gold cutting test by Yamano Kanjūrō Hisahide
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Shirasaya with sayagaki by Tanobe Michihiro
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- The listing does not state the condition or polish of the blade
- The paper's measurements (75.1 cm nagasa, 0.9 cm sori) differ slightly from the listing's (74.9 and 1.1 cm)
Score
150 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
+15
75.1 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−15
Price: the more affordable, the more points −15
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
- 75.1 cm
- Sori
- 0.9 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Jūyō
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Nagasone Okisato
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kanbun era (1661–1673)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Cutting test
- Inscribed on the tangThe NBTHK does not rule on the cutting test: the inscription is on the tang and is not part of the paper.
- Motohaba
- 3,0 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,05 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,64 cm
- Blade weight
- 790 g