Kantei
‹ Catalogue

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

The piece

Katana of the Mizuta school of Bitchū, early Edo period, with a signed ubu tang, declared Tokubetsu Hozon paper, black-lacquered mounting and shirasaya.

Katana forged by Kunishige of the Mizuta school in Bitchū province. According to the original seller, he was the son of another Kunishige of the same school and used the art name 有明 (Ariake); the seller places the blade in the early Edo period. The blade measures 70.9 cm in nagasa with 1 cm of sori, in hon-zukuri with iori-mune and a kasane of 0.82 cm. The original seller describes an itame jigane mixed with masame, with ji-nie and chikei, and a notare hamon with gunome and togariba, deep nioi with ashi and yō, kinsuji and sunagashi, bright and clear; the photographs show the notare and gunome hamon. The tang is ubu, with one mekugi-ana, and is signed 備中國水田住國重作 (Bitchū no Kuni Mizuta-jū Kunishige saku). It comes with a 黒呂塗鞘打刀拵 (kuro-ro-nuri-saya uchigatana koshirae): black-lacquered saya, black-wrapped tsuka and an iron tsuba with willow and swallow, as well as its shirasaya. The original seller declares NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.

Strong points

  • Ubu tang signed 備中國水田住國重作 (Bitchū no Kuni Mizuta-jū Kunishige saku)
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, according to the original seller
  • Uchigatana mounting with black-lacquered saya and iron tsuba
  • Also kept in its shirasaya

Points to bear in mind

  • The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
  • The mounting is described but not dated
  • The paper does not appear in the photographs

Score

117.3 pointscurrent max. 255

  1. Certificate +50

    NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50

  2. Tang +25

    Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25

  3. Declared condition −20

    The original seller says nothing about the condition −20

  4. Signature and date +15

    Signed, with no engraved date +15

  5. Mounting +5

    Mounting described, undated +5

  6. Blade +10

    70.9 cm: within the usable range +10

  7. Shirasaya +5

    With a storage shirasaya +5

  8. Price +27.3

    Price: the more affordable, the more points +27.3

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).

Nagasa
70.9 cm
Sori
1 cm
Tang
Intact (ubu)
Certificate
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
Mounting
Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
Storage shirasaya
Yes
Period
Shintō (1596-1780)
Dating
Early Edo period
Province
Bitchū
Mekugi-ana
1
Condition
Condition not declared
Signed
Yes
With an engraved date
No

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