Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Sado no Kami Kunitomi, a Nagato smith of around the Kan'ei era, with a signed tang, complete koshirae and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana by Sado no Kami Kunitomi, a smith of Nagato province in the shintō period. According to the original seller, he worked in the service of the Chōshū domain, first signed Kunitomi and, around the Kan'ei era, adopted the signature bearing the title Sado no Kami. The blade measures 66.6 cm in nagasa with 0.9 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.1 cm and a sakihaba of 2.1 cm; the photographs show a bo-hi on both sides ending above the tang and a medium kissaki. The tang appears intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana, and the omote bears the signature 佐渡守國冨元喜作 (Sado no Kami Kunitomi Motoyoshi saku); the ura is uninscribed. It comes with a koshirae documented only by the photographs: an iron tsuba with silver, a tsuka with brown ito over same, dark nanako fuchi-kashira and a mottled black lacquered saya with a black and red sageo. The listing neither describes nor dates it. The blade holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, issued in 2025, attributing it to Nagato around the Kan'ei era.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Tang signed 佐渡守國冨元喜作 (Sado no Kami Kunitomi Motoyoshi saku), intact in the photographs
- Complete koshirae with tsuba, tsuka and lacquered saya
- Bo-hi on both sides
Points to bear in mind
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade.
- The mounting is neither described nor dated by the original seller; it is documented only by the photographs.
- The photographs show wear on the tsuka ito.
Score
95 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
0
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0
-
Blade
0
66.6 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
0
No shirasaya: one will have to be made 0
-
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
- 66.6 cm
- Sori
- 0.9 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- No
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kan'ei era (1624–1644)
- Province
- Nagato
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,1 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,6 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,5 cm
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