Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed by Sumi Hidekuni, a shinshintō smith from Mutsu, in shirasaya and with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate.
Katana signed by Sumi Hidekuni, a swordsmith of Mutsu province in the shinshintō period. According to the original seller, he trained under Suishinshi Masahide and later under Motohira, when he changed his signature to Motooki, and he died young in 1824 (Bunsei 7). The blade has a nagasa of 67.0 cm and a sori of 1.8 cm; it is wide and thick, with moderate curvature and a long kissaki. The photographs show a gunome-midare hamon with a crisp outline; the original seller describes it with a thick nioikuchi, over a fine jigane with jinie. The tang, which appears intact in the photographs and has a single mekugi-ana, bears the signature 角秀國鍛之 (Sumi Hidekuni kore o kitau). Single-piece silver habaki. The blade comes in shirasaya, without mountings. It is accompanied by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, number 150267, issued on 8 April Heisei 17 (2005), which records the same signature.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate (no. 150267, 2005)
- Signed on the tang by Sumi Hidekuni, a pupil of Suishinshi Masahide according to the original seller
- Lively, well-defined gunome-midare hamon
- Tang intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
- Wide, thick blade with a long kissaki
Points to bear in mind
- Comes in shirasaya, without koshirae
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade
- Undated: the dating rests on the smith's biography
Score
85.7 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
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
+5
67 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+25.7
Price: the more affordable, the more points +25.7
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 cm
- Sori
- 1.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Sumi Hidekuni
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Shinshintō period, before 1824
- Province
- Mutsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,96 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,96 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,82 cm