Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Early Edo katana signed by Kawachi no Kami Motoyuki of Karatsu (Hizen), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers and kept in shirasaya.
Katana of the Takada school, originally from Bungo, by Kawachi no Kami Motoyuki, the first generation according to the original seller, who worked in Karatsu, Hizen province. The tang is signed 肥州唐津住河内守源本行 (Hishū Karatsu-jū Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Motoyuki); the photographs show a tang that appears unaltered, with a single mekugi-ana. The blade has a nagasa of 69.0 cm and a sori of 2.0 cm, with a motohaba of 3.2 cm, a sakihaba of 2.1 cm and a kasane of 0.7 cm, and weighs 755 g. According to the original seller, it is wide and thick, deeply curved, with a long kissaki; the jigane is a dense, well-forged itame with chikei, and the hamon a suguha with small ashi and a deep, rounded bōshi. The sword is kept in shirasaya with a single gold-plated habaki and comes without mounts. It carries the NBTHK 特別保存刀剣 (tokubetsu hozon tōken) certificate no. 141950, issued on 2 April Heisei 9 (1997), visible in the photographs.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate (no. 141950, 1997)
- Full signature with title and place of residence: Hishū Karatsu-jū Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Motoyuki
- Tang appearing unaltered, with a single mekugi-ana
- Wide, thick, deeply curved blade with a long kissaki, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
- The first-generation attribution comes from the original seller; the certificate does not state the generation
Score
94.9 pointscurrent max. 255
-
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
69 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+29.9
Price: the more affordable, the more points +29.9
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
- 69 cm
- Sori
- 2 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Early Edo period, late 17th century
- Province
- Hizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,2 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Blade weight
- 755 g