Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed and dated 1815 by the first-generation Suishinshi Masahide, with kaō and stamp on the tang, in shirasaya and with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper.
Katana by the first-generation Suishinshi Masahide, whom the original seller presents as the founder of the shinshintō period and one of the 江戸三作 (Edo sansaku), the three great smiths of Edo. The blade is shinogi-zukuri with moderate sori and a bōhi kaki-nagashi on both faces, clearly visible in the photographs. According to the original seller, the jigane is a dense ko-nuka-hada with fine ji-nie, and the hamon a ko-gunome mixed with ko-chōji over a gentle notare, in ko-nie. The tang, intact as far as the photographs show and with a single mekugi-ana, is signed 川部儀八郎藤原正秀 (Kawabe Gihachirō Fujiwara Masahide) with kaō and a punched stamp, and dated on the ura 文化十二年八月日 (Bunka jūni-nen hachigatsu hi), that is, 1815. It measures 65.6 cm in nagasa with 1.67 cm of sori; motohaba 3.35 cm, motokasane 0.97 cm, and the bare blade weighs 810 g. It is kept in shirasaya, without koshirae. It carries the NBTHK 特別保存刀剣 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken) paper, no. 153448, issued in 2008, which is reproduced in the photographs.
Strong points
- Work of the first-generation Suishinshi Masahide, central figure of the shinshintō revival
- Signed and dated in the 8th month of Bunka 12 (1815), with kaō and punched stamp
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, no. 153448 (2008), photographed
- Tang intact according to the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
- Bōhi kaki-nagashi on both faces
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae.
- The description of the jigane and hamon comes from the original seller; the photographs do not allow the nie activity to be made out.
Score
108.6 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
+20
In good condition according to the original seller +20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
0
65.6 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+3.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points +3.6
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
- 65.6 cm
- Sori
- 1.7 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Suishinshi Masahide
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Bunka 12 (1815)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,35 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,30 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,97 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,73 cm
- Blade weight
- 810 g