Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana from Musashi signed Fujiwara Kuniyoshi, with an ubu tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, housed in a rare shikomizue mounting and accompanied by a shirasaya.
Katana signed on the tang 藤原国吉造 (Fujiwara Kuniyoshi tsukuru). The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate records this signature and places the work as «武蔵・新々刀» (Musashi shinshintō), that is, in Musashi province during the shinshintō period. The blade has a nagasa of 63.5 cm and a sori of 1.5 cm; according to the listing, the kissaki measures 3.3 cm and the tang 21.3 cm. The original seller describes a tightly forged ko-itame jigane and a suguha hamon in nie-deki with fine, bright nie. The photographs show an ubu tang with its original tip, visible yasurime and a single mekugi-ana. The blade is fitted in a shikomizue, the walking-stick mounting that conceals the sword: scabbard and handle lacquered in dark brown with a textured surface, spiral bands and an iron ferrule, without tsuba. Given the short length and the unaltered tang, the original seller considers it likely that the blade was forged after the Haitōrei edict of 1876 specifically for this mounting. It comes with a shirasaya, a tsunagi and a copper habaki.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate
- Signed ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Uncommon walking-stick shikomizue mounting
- Includes shirasaya, tsunagi and copper habaki
Points to bear in mind
- The mounting is a shikomizue without tsuba, not a conventional koshirae.
- The original seller considers a post-1876 forging likely, while the certificate classifies it as shinshintō.
- The listing says nothing about condition or polish; the photographs show fine scratches on the shinogi-ji.
Score
90 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
0
63.5 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
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
- 63.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Fujiwara Kuniyoshi
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Shinshintō period (1781–1875)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,9 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,09 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,72 cm