Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Osafune Norimitsu of the Sue-Bizen school, signed and dated Eiroku 10 (1567), with ubu tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Kept in shirasaya.
Katana forged by Norimitsu, a smith of Osafune in Bizen province, within the group known as Sue-Bizen at the end of the Muromachi period. The original seller describes him as a smith with a relatively small body of work whose skill matched the best of his generation. The blade measures 69.7 cm in nagasa with 1.9 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.1 cm and a notable kasane of 0.7 cm. The tang is ubu, with two mekugi-ana, and bears the signature 備前国住長船法光作之 (Bizen no kuni-jū Osafune Norimitsu kore o tsukuru), with the date 永禄十年二月吉日 (Eiroku jūnen nigatsu kichijitsu) on the ura. According to the original seller, the jigane is a tightly forged ko-itame mixed with mokume and vivid midare-utsuri; the hamon, in nioi-deki, is ko-midare with ashi and yō, and the bōshi rises to a point and turns back. The seller describes the blade as healthy. The NBTHK awarded it Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, visible in the photographs. It comes in shirasaya, without koshirae.
Strong points
- Signed and dated Eiroku 10 (1567)
- Ubu tang with full signature
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Robust 0.7 cm kasane on a blade described as healthy
- Vivid midare-utsuri according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
Score
137.3 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
69.7 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+7.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +7.3
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
- 69.7 cm
- Sori
- 1.9 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Osafune Norimitsu
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Eiroku 10 (1567)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm