Kantei

NH-0389 Rank 46

Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga

相模守藤原盛永

Shintō katana signed Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga of Mino (Seki), with bo-hi, a tang that appears intact in the photographs and a complete koshirae with lacquered saya.

Shintō (1596-1780)Mid-Edo, shintō periodMino (Seki)NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Shintō-period katana signed Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga (相模守藤原盛永), a smith of Mino province working in the Seki tradition. The blade has a nagasa of 68.9 cm and a sori of 2.2 cm, with bo-hi on both sides. The photographs show a notare hamon with broad undulations and a medium kissaki. The tang keeps its shape, its yasurime and a single mekugi-ana; the signature is chiselled on the omote and there is also an inscription on the ura. It comes with a shirasaya and a complete koshirae: brown lacquered saya, tsuka with green ito over same, shakudō fuchi-kashira with figures in gilt relief, iron tsuba and gilt habaki. The original seller neither describes nor dates the mounting, which is recorded only in the photographs. According to the piece data it holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, although the certificate does not appear in the photographs.

Strong points

  • Legible signature of Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Morinaga, Mino (Seki) school
  • Tang appears intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
  • Blade with bo-hi on both sides and a notare hamon
  • Complete koshirae with lacquered saya and shakudō fuchi-kashira with gilt figures
  • Tokubetsu Hozon paper stated by the original seller

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller does not state the condition of the blade
  • The mounting is neither described nor dated; it is recorded only in the photographs
  • The Tokubetsu Hozon certificate does not appear in the photographs
  • The blade bears no engraved date

Score breakdown

63.6/100

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 10 of 18 Signed, with no 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 6 of 8 68.9 cm: close to the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 9.6 of 10 Rank 7 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest