Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana of the Edo Hōjōji school, signed by Izumi no Kami Hōjōji Tachibana Masatsugu around the Kyōhō era, with Tokubetsu Hozon papers, shirasaya and lacquered mounting.
Katana signed Izumi no Kami Hōjōji Tachibana Masatsugu, a smith of the Hōjōji school of Edo, Musashi province. According to the original seller, he was a pupil of Ōmi no Kami Hōjōji Masahiro, received the title Izumi no Kami after his master's death and left very few works of his own; a tachi by him kept at the Futarasan shrine in Utsunomiya is a prefectural cultural property, and the school's style recalls that of Nagasone Kotetsu. The papers place the blade around the Kyōhō era (1716–1736). It measures 62.9 cm in nagasa with 1.5 cm of sori and carries bōhi on both sides. The tang, declared ubu by the seller, shows two mekugi-ana and the signature on the omote in the photographs. It comes in shirasaya, according to the listing, and with an uchigatana mounting: kawari-nuri lacquered saya with gold, iron tsuba, gilt fuchi-kashira and menuki, and wrapped tsuka, not dated by the seller. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers dated 1 December 2025.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2025)
- Signature of an Edo Hōjōji smith with very few known works, according to the original seller
- Declared ubu tang with two mekugi-ana
- Bōhi on both sides
- Comes with a lacquered uchigatana mounting and in shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
- The mounting is not dated by the seller
- The detail photographs are small
Score
110 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
0
62.9 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
- 62.9 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hōjōji Masatsugu
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kyōhō era (1716–1736)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,85 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,05 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,76 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,52 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,79 cm
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