Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Signed and dated katana by Taikei Naotane, forged in Ōsaka in 1838, with a gunome-chōji hamon in the manner of Kanemitsu and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Katana by Taikei Naotane, the foremost pupil of Suishinshi Masahide and one of the great names of shinshintō. According to the original seller, he followed his master's theory of returning to the old forms and excelled in Bizen-den; this blade is an interpretation in the manner of Kanemitsu. It was forged in Ōsaka, as the stamp ナニワ (Naniwa, the old name of Ōsaka) on the tang shows, in the 2nd month of Tenpō 9 (1838). Shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune, a wide mihaba and a slightly extended chū-kissaki; nagasa 74.4 cm, sori 1.5 cm. The original seller describes an itame jigane mixed with mokume, with ji-nie and chikei, and a gunome-chōji hamon with togari-ba, tobiyaki, ashi and yō, deep nie and abundant kinsuji; the photographs show the gunome-chōji hamon along the whole blade. The tang, ubu judging by the photographs, ends in kurijiri, has sujikai yasurime with keshō and three mekugi-ana, one of them plugged. It is signed 造大慶直胤 (Zō Taikei Naotane) with kaō on the omote and dated on the ura. The blade is kept in shirasaya with a double gold-foiled habaki, and comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers issued in 1993.
Strong points
- Signed and dated work by Taikei Naotane, a leading figure of shinshintō
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Forged in Ōsaka, with the stamp ナニワ (Naniwa, "Ōsaka") on the tang
- Gunome-chōji hamon in the Kanemitsu tradition
- Double gold-foiled habaki
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is kept in shirasaya only
- The tang has three mekugi-ana, one of them plugged
- The original listing does not expressly state the condition of the blade
Score
73.6 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+10
Tang intact according to the photographs +20 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+15
74.4 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+3.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points +3.6
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
- 74.4 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Taikei Naotane
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Tenpō 9 (1838)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,69 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,58 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,78 cm
- Blade weight
- 855 g