Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Ōsaka shintō katana signed 河内守国助 (Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke), Kanbun era, in shirasaya with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana of the Ōsaka school in Settsu province, signed on the omote of the tang 河内守国助 (Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke). The original seller attributes it to the second generation, known as Naka-Kawachi, and places it around the Kanbun era (1661–1673). The blade measures 72.8 cm in nagasa with 1.3 cm of sori, 3.22 cm motohaba, 1.94 cm sakihaba and 0.78 cm kasane, and weighs 800 g. According to the original seller, it has a slightly wide mihaba, a sturdy kasane and a slightly extended kissaki; the jigane is a fine ko-itame in the Ōsaka manner, and the hamon starts with a few centimetres of yakidashi and continues in gunome-midare with long ashi, with a rounded turn-back bōshi. The close-up photographs show the gunome with its ashi. The tang, according to the photographs, is intact, with a single mekugi-ana. The piece comes in shirasaya, with a single-piece silver habaki, and without mounts. It holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers dated Reiwa 4 (2022), attributing the blade to Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2022)
- Signed 河内守国助 (Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke), second generation according to the original seller
- Intact tang with a single mekugi-ana, according to the photographs
- Gunome-midare hamon with long ashi, visible in the close-ups
- Single-piece silver habaki and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya, without koshirae
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade or its polish
- The generation comes from the original seller; the papers only name Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke
Score
85.7 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
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
72.8 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+20.7
Price: the more affordable, the more points +20.7
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
- 72.8 cm
- Sori
- 1.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kanbun era (1661–1673)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,22 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,94 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,78 cm
- Blade weight
- 800 g