Kantei

NH-0418 Rank 91

Noriyuki

Shintō katana signed by Fujiwara Noriyuki of Bungo province, with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate. It comes with a red-lacquer koshirae and also a shirasaya.

Shintō (1596-1780)Kanbun era (1661–1673)BungoNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Shintō katana signed "Bungo jū Fujiwara Noriyuki", from the Takada group of smiths in Bungo province, active from Muromachi times to the end of the Edo period; the original seller places the start of the Noriyuki line around the Kanbun era and follows it through six generations. The blade measures 67 cm nagasa and 1.5 cm sori, with 3.75 cm motohaba and 2.35 cm sakihaba. The photographs show a suguha hamon with gentle undulations, a bōshi that turns back evenly and a polish that lets the edge be read without difficulty. The nakago, dark and evenly patinated, keeps a single mekugi-ana and the full signature, with no sign of shortening. The NBTHK origami, photographed, certifies the Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken level. The photographs also record a complete mounting — iron tsuba with relief work and gilt accents, tsuka wrapped in black ito over same, light-metal fuchi-kashira bearing a cross-in-circle mon, silver habaki and red-lacquer saya with its sageo — together with a wooden shirasaya.

Strong points

  • Full Bungo jū Fujiwara Noriyuki signature, legible on the tang and recorded on the certificate
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken origami photographed and legible
  • Tang with old patina and untouched appearance, with a single mekugi-ana
  • Complete koshirae: red-lacquer saya, iron tsuba with relief work and fuchi-kashira with a mon
  • A shirasaya is included as well

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller neither describes nor dates the mounting: it is documented only by the photographs.
  • The listing says nothing about the blade's condition: there is no declaration of soundness or of flaws.
  • The red lacquer of the saya shows wear, scratches and small losses visible in the photographs.
  • The fittings have no certificate of their own and show no visible signature.

Score breakdown

56.1/100

The score shares out 100 points: Signature and date 18 · Tang 22 · Mounting 18 · Declared condition 20 · Blade 8 · Shirasaya 4 · Price 10. 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).

  1. Signature and date 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
  2. Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
  3. Mounting 0 of 18 Mounting documented only in the photographs · with a family crest (mon)
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 6 of 8 67 cm: close to the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 9.1 of 10 Rank 13 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest