Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Early Edo katana signed by Dewa Daijō Fujiwara Kunimichi of the Horikawa school of Yamashiro, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, shirasaya and a modern decorative mounting.
A katana by Kunimichi, one of the leading smiths of the Horikawa Kunihiro school in Yamashiro province, active in the early Edo period. According to the original seller, he received the title Dewa Daijō, which appears in the signature, in 1615, so the blade postdates that year. The blade has a nagasa of 63.6 cm and a sori of 1.4 cm; the photographs show an undulating notare hamon and a medium kissaki. The tang is signed on the omote 出羽大掾藤原国路 (Dewa Daijō Fujiwara Kunimichi) and has two mekugi-ana; the tang end is original and the tang shows machi-okuri. The NBTHK certified it as 特別保存刀剣 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken) on 3 June Reiwa 8 (2026). It comes with a shirasaya bearing a sayagaki and with a mounting the original seller describes as decorative: black lacquered saya, round iron tsuba, fuchi-kashira with a dragon motif and menuki depicting fishing gear.
Strong points
- Signed by Dewa Daijō Fujiwara Kunimichi, a leading figure of the Horikawa school
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper (2026)
- Tang with its original end and old patina
- Shirasaya with sayagaki and a complete mounting
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller notes a couple of kitae kizu; the photographs show one in the edge area
- The mounting is decorative and modern, as the listing itself states
- Machi-okuri: the machi has been moved up and the tang has two mekugi-ana
- The tsuka ito is worn and torn in one spot
Score
28.3 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−10
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10
-
Declared condition
−70
The original seller declares flaws 0 · large kitae-ware, in the edge or the monouchi −70
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+15
Modern or replacement mounting +15
-
Blade
0
63.6 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+23.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +23.3
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
- 63.6 cm
- Sori
- 1.4 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Modern mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Dewa Daijō Kunimichi
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Genna–Meireki eras (1615–1658)
- Province
- Yamashiro
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Localised flaw declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
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