Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Sue-Bizen katana signed 備州長船祐定 (Bishū Osafune Sukesada) and dated Tenshō 4 (1576), with an ubu tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper. Offered in shirasaya.
Katana by the Sukesada family of Osafune, the most prolific line among the late-Muromachi Bizen smiths known as Sue-Bizen. The tang bears the signature 備州長船祐定 (Bishū Osafune Sukesada) on the omote and the date 天正四年八月日 (Tenshō yonen hachigatsu hi), 1576, on the ura. According to the original seller, the tang is ubu, with a kurijiri tip, katte-sagari file marks and a single mekugi-ana, which the photographs confirm. The blade, with a nagasa of 69.8 cm and 2.2 cm of sori, is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, wide mihaba and chū-kissaki, in the katate-uchi shape of the period. The original seller describes an itame jigane mixed with nagare, with utsuri, and a suguha-based hamon with gunome and chōji, yubashiri, tobiyaki and nijūba, ashi and yō, ko-nie, kinsuji and sunagashi; the photographs show the gunome and patches of tobiyaki above the edge. Single-piece solid silver habaki, according to the seller. The NBTHK awarded it 特別保存刀剣 (tokubetsu hozon tōken) papers in 2024.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 備州長船祐定 (Bishū Osafune Sukesada), 天正四年八月日 (Tenshō yonen hachigatsu hi)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2024)
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Active hamon with yubashiri, tobiyaki and nijūba, according to the original seller
- Solid silver habaki and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without mounting (koshirae), in shirasaya only.
- The listing does not state the condition or the date of the polish.
Score
102.8 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
69.8 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+22.8
Price: the more affordable, the more points +22.8
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
- 69.8 cm
- Sori
- 2.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Osafune Sukesada
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 8th month of Tenshō 4 (1576)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,0 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,60 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,45 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,70 cm
- Blade weight
- 688 g