Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana of the Osafune school of Bizen, signed Bishū Osafune Sukesada and dated Daiei 2 (1522), with an ubu tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers. Presented in shirasaya.
Katana forged in Bizen province by a smith of the Osafune Sukesada line, the best-known group of Bizen swordsmiths in the late Muromachi period. Dated to the 8th month of Daiei 2 (1522), it is contemporary with the Eishō-era blades of the same school. According to the original seller, it is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, a chū-kissaki tending to extend and an elegant koshizori; the jigane is itame mixed with mokume, somewhat open, with soft utsuri and ji-nie, and the hamon is a ko-nie suguha with slight undulations, ko-ashi and yō. The photographs show the grain of the jigane along the blade. The tang is ubu, with katte-sagari yasurime, a kurijiri tip and a single mekugi-ana; the omote is signed 備州長船祐定 (Bishū Osafune Sukesada) and the ura dated 大永二年八月日 (Daiei ni-nen hachigatsu hi). The blade measures 67 cm in nagasa with 2.3 cm of sori. It has a copper habaki with Yūjō file marks at its base and is kept in shirasaya. It carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers issued in August 2016.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 備州長船祐定 (Bishū Osafune Sukesada), 大永二年八月日 (Daiei ni-nen hachigatsu hi), 1522
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana, per the listing and the photographs
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2016)
- Late Muromachi Osafune blade with koshizori and an elegant profile
- Kept in shirasaya, with a copper habaki
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is offered in shirasaya only.
- The listing does not state when the blade was last polished.
- The signature does not identify the specific generation within the Sukesada line.
Score
155 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+5
67 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
- 67 cm
- Sori
- 2.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Osafune Sukesada
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 8th month of Daiei 2 (1522)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,9 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm