Kantei

NH-0393 Rank 84

Kanefusa

Kotō katana from Mino signed Kanefusa and dated Eishō 9 (1512), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken and a koshirae whose matching fittings bear the gosan-no-kiri crest.

Kotō (up to 1596)8th month of Eishō 9 (1512)MinoNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Kotō katana signed 'Kanefusa saku', a name carried by several generations of smiths in Seki, Mino province, and dated to the eighth month of Eishō 9 (1512), which places it in the late Muromachi period. The first Kanefusa, active in the Eikyō era, was the son of Kaneshige of the Yoshisada school and gave his name to the 'Kanefusa-midare'. The blade has a nagasa of 68.4 cm; the photographs show a suguha-based hamon with undulations, an intact bōshi and a presentable polish. The tang, with two mekugi-ana (one plugged) and a rounded end, appears unshortened; the signature and date cannot be read in the tang photographs, but they are recorded in the certificate's oshigata and on the photographed registration card. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate (no. 147828, 16 January 2003), legible in the photograph. According to the original seller, the mounting has fuchi-kashira, menuki and tsuba with the gosan-no-kiri crest and karakusa, a kōgai with the same crest, and a dark red lacquered saya which the seller believes to be aka tsuishu-nuri (Wakasa-nuri); the mounting is not dated. A shirasaya is also included, according to the original seller.

Strong points

  • Signed 'Kanefusa saku' and dated to the 8th month of Eishō 9 (1512), as recorded in the certificate's oshigata and the photographed registration card
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken (no. 147828, 16 January 2003), legible in the origami photograph
  • Mino-den blade with a suguha-based hamon, intact bōshi and a presentable polish in the photographs
  • Matching fittings with the gosan-no-kiri crest and karakusa (fuchi-kashira, menuki, tsuba and kōgai), according to the original seller; the kōgai is visible in the photos
  • Dark red lacquered saya, which the original seller believes to be aka tsuishu-nuri (Wakasa-nuri); shirasaya included

Points to bear in mind

  • The mounting is not dated by the original seller and is only shown complete in one small photograph; there are no detail photos of the tsuka, tsuba, fuchi-kashira or menuki
  • The original seller makes no statement about the condition of the blade
  • Two mekugi-ana, one plugged; the signature and date cannot be read in the tang photographs, only in the certificate's oshigata and the registration card

Score breakdown

57/100

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 18 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana
  3. Mounting 3 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · with a family crest (mon)
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 6 of 8 68.4 cm: close to the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 1 of 10 Rank 125 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest