Kantei

NH-0386 Rank 26

Hamabe Minryūshi Toshizane

因藩臣濱部眠龍子壽実

Shinshintō katana by Hamabe Minryūshi Toshizane, retainer smith of the Inaba (Tottori) clan, signed and dated in the 8th month of Bunka 14 (1817), with koshirae and shirasaya.

Shinshintō (1781-1876)8th month of Bunka 14 (1817)Inaba (clan Tottori)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Shinshintō-period katana by Hamabe Minryūshi Toshizane, a smith of the Hamabe school in the service of the Inaba (Tottori) clan. The blade has a nagasa of 71.2 cm and a sori of 1.2 cm. The photographs show an irregular gunome midare hamon running the full length of the blade and a moderately proportioned kissaki. The nakago, recorded as ubu in the piece data, shows a single mekugi-ana in the photographs, the long signature on the omote (因藩臣濱部眠龍子壽実) and the date on the ura, the 8th month of Bunka 14 (1817); both faces also carry later inscriptions in red lacquer. The sword comes with a shirasaya and a complete koshirae known only from the photographs: black lacquered saya with a teal sageo, tsuka wrapped in black ito with gilt shishi menuki, black fuchi and kashira, a round iron tsuba and a silver habaki with diagonal file marks. The mounting is neither described nor dated. The piece is recorded with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, which does not appear in the photographs.

Strong points

  • Signed and dated: 8th month of Bunka 14 (1817)
  • Hamabe school smith in the service of the Inaba (Tottori) clan
  • Ubu nakago with a single mekugi-ana
  • Complete koshirae and shirasaya
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper according to the piece data

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller does not state the condition of the blade
  • The koshirae is neither described nor dated; it is known only from the photographs
  • The paper does not appear in the photographs
  • The nakago bears later inscriptions in red lacquer

Score breakdown

68.3/100

The score shares out 100 points: Signature and date 18 · Tang 22 · Mounting 18 · Declared condition 20 · Blade 8 · Shirasaya 4 · Price 10. 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).

  1. Signature and date 18 of 18 Signed and with an engraved date
  2. Tang 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
  3. Mounting 1 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 71.2 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 4.3 of 10 Rank 79 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest