Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shintō katana by Kunimune, smith of the Okayama domain in Bizen, signed and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers; it comes with a mounting and a shirasaya.
Katana forged by Kunimune, a smith in the service of the Okayama domain in Bizen province. According to the original seller, he worked in the castle town of Okayama during the Manji and Kanbun eras, and the blade is placed around 1658. The blade measures 67.9 cm in nagasa with 1.6 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.05 cm and a kasane of 0.65 cm. The photographs show an undulating notare hamon with gunome along the whole blade. The tang appears intact in the photographs, with two mekugi-ana, and bears the signature 備州岡山住藤原国宗造 (Bishū Okayama-jū Fujiwara Kunimune tsukuru). The NBTHK certified it as 特別保存刀剣 (tokubetsu hozon tōken) in 2018. It is offered with a shirasaya and with a mounting comprising a black-lacquered saya, a tsuka wrapped in purple ito over same, an iron tsuba with grasses and a skull, and fuchi-kashira and menuki with skulls and bones; the original listing neither describes nor dates the mounting.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers (2018)
- Signed: 備州岡山住藤原国宗造 (Bishū Okayama-jū Fujiwara Kunimune tsukuru)
- Tang intact according to the photographs, with two mekugi-ana
- Comes with a complete mounting and a shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The original listing does not state the condition of the blade
- The mounting is neither described nor dated; the saya, ito and sageo appear redone in the photographs
Score
82.3 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−20
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0 · relacquered saya −10 · rewrapped ito −5 · new sageo −5
-
Blade
+5
67.9 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+27.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +27.3
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
- 67.9 cm
- Sori
- 1.6 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Okayama Kunimune
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Manji era (1658–1661)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,00 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,65 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,45 cm
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