Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Katsumura Norikatsu, smith to the Mito domain, dated 1863, with an ubu tang, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper and a lacquered mounting bearing a mon.
Katana forged by Katsumura Norikatsu, a smith serving the Mito domain in the late Edo period. According to the original seller, he trained under Sekiuchi Tokumune and, by order of Tokugawa Nariaki, moved to Edo, where he studied with Hosokawa Masayoshi and Unju Korekazu; from 1861 he worked at the domain residence in Koishikawa. His work is usually robust, in masame with suguha; according to the seller this blade is exceptional within his output: tightly forged ko-itame and an ō-notare hamon with vigorous kinsuji and sunagashi, in the manner of the Sōshū tradition. The photographs show a wide blade with a broadly undulating hamon. Nagasa 70.6 cm, sori 2.0 cm. The tang is ubu with one mekugi-ana, signed 水府住勝村徳勝作之 (Suifu-jū Katsumura Norikatsu kore o saku) and dated 文久三季八月日 (Bunkyū sannen hachigatsu hi). Mounting with a wrapped tsuka, iron tsuba and black lacquered saya bearing a mon of four lozenges in a circle. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, no. 142359, issued in 1997.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (no. 142359)
- Signed and dated 1863, ubu tang
- Atypical work by the smith, in Sōshū style according to the original seller
- Lacquered mounting with a mon on the saya
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller describes the mounting but does not date it
- The sageo has been replaced
- Supplied without shirasaya
Score
97.7 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−2
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0 · family crests (mon): 1 +3 · new sageo −5
-
Blade
+10
70.6 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
0
No shirasaya: one will have to be made 0
-
Price
+14.7
Price: the more affordable, the more points +14.7
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
- 70.6 cm
- Sori
- 2 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- No
- Smith
- Katsumura Norikatsu
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863)
- Province
- Mito (Hitachi) — forjada en Edo
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,2 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,7 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,8 cm
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