Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga, a mid-Edo smith of Seki (Mino), with a signed ubu tang, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, koshirae and shirasaya.
Katana by Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga, a smith of Seki in Mino province, active in the mid-Edo period; according to the original seller, he also worked in Kai and in Kōriyama (Yamato). The blade, with a nagasa of 68.9 cm and a sori of 2.2 cm, is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune. The photographs show a bōhi on the omote and a futasuji-hi on the ura. The original seller describes a well-forged itame jigane mixed with masame, with ji-nie and chikei, and a notare hamon with gunome, chōji and pointed elements, a deep nioi and abundant nie, with yubashiri, ashi, yō, kinsuji and sunagashi. The tang is ubu, with one mekugi-ana, and bears the signature 相模守藤原盛永 (Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga); the seller adds 濃州関之住 (Nōshū Seki no jū) on the ura. The sword comes with an uchigatana-koshirae with a kawari-nuri lacquered saya, an iron tsuba, fuchi-kashira with warrior figures in relief and a same-covered tsuka, as well as its shirasaya. It holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Signed ubu tang 相模守藤原盛永 (Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga)
- Bōhi on the omote and futasuji-hi on the ura
- Koshirae with figurative fuchi-kashira and iron tsuba, plus shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The listing does not mention the condition of the blade
- The mounting is described but not dated
- The shirasaya does not appear in the photographs
Score
115 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
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+5
68.9 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+30
Price: the more affordable, the more points +30
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
- 68.9 cm
- Sori
- 2.2 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
- Mid-Edo period
- Province
- Mino (Seki)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
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