Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shintō-period katana signed by Shimōsa Daijō Kanemasa, resident in Echizen, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, a recent polish and a complete mounting.
Katana by Shimōsa Daijō Kanemasa, a smith of the Echizen branch of the Seki tradition. According to the original seller, he was a fifth-generation descendant of Kanenori of Seki (Mino) and worked in Echizen, Edo and Hikone; the seller places the blade around 1673, in the Enpō era. The blade has a nagasa of 64.6 cm with 0.7 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.1 cm and a kasane of 6.8 mm. The photographs show an undulating (notare) hamon with gunome and a medium kissaki. The tang, which appears intact in the photographs, with its original tip and a single mekugi-ana, is signed 下総大掾藤原兼正 (Shimōsa Daijō Fujiwara Kanemasa) on the omote and 越前住 (Echizen-jū) on the ura. The original seller states that the blade is newly polished and in excellent condition. It comes with a complete mounting known only from the photographs: a tsuka wrapped in black leather with a central band of hammered silver bearing a dragon in relief, an iron tsuba with inlaid gold lines, a black lacquered saya with spiral ridges and a gilt habaki. NBTHK 特別保存刀剣 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken) paper, no. 1026714, dated June of Reiwa 8 (2026).
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
- Tang signed with province: Shimōsa Daijō Fujiwara Kanemasa, Echizen-jū
- Recent polish stated by the original seller
- Complete mounting with a spiral-ridged lacquered saya and a tsuka with a silver dragon
- Tang intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller neither describes nor dates the mounting: it is known only from the photographs
- The listing does not mention a shirasaya
- The tang is not declared ubu: its integrity is judged from the photographs alone
Score
143.4 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
+30
In good condition according to the original seller +20 · recent polish +10
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
0
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0
-
Blade
0
64.6 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
0
No shirasaya: one will have to be made 0
-
Price
+28.4
Price: the more affordable, the more points +28.4
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
- 64.6 cm
- Sori
- 0.7 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- No
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Enpō era (1673–1681)
- Province
- Echizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Recent polish declared by the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,15 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,68 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,45 cm
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