Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Kiyosa of Satsuma, signed with a tachi-mei and dated Kyōroku 2 (1529), with Tokubetsu Hozon papers according to the original seller, shirasaya and koshirae.
Katana by Kiyosa, a smith of Satsuma province in the Sengoku period; according to the original seller, he studied under Osafune Kiyomitsu of Bizen and is also known as the maker of the "Yae-datami", the sword carried by Hosokawa Yūsai. The blade, in shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, has a nagasa of 67.7 cm and a sori of 2.3 cm: high shinogi, deep curvature, taper towards the point and a chū-kissaki. The original seller describes an itame jigane with mokume and ayasugi-hada, a bō-utsuri rising from the base, and an ito-suguha hamon in ko-nie with some nijūba. The tang, which appears intact in the photographs, with a kurijiri and a single mekugi-ana, is signed with a tachi-mei 薩州住清左 (Sasshū-jū Kiyosa) and dated on the other side 享禄二年二月日 (Kyōroku ninen nigatsu hi), that is, 1529. According to the seller, the tachi-mei and the deep sori suggest it may originally have been made as a tachi. It comes with a shirasaya, stated in the listing, and with a koshirae shown in the photographs: black lacquered saya, tsuka with black ito over same, and a pierced iron tsuba. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers according to the original seller.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 薩州住清左 (Sasshū-jū Kiyosa), 享禄二年二月日 (Kyōroku ninen nigatsu hi), 1529
- Tang intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers according to the original seller
- With shirasaya and a complete koshirae with a pierced iron tsuba
Points to bear in mind
- The listing says nothing about the condition or polish of the blade
- The koshirae is neither described nor dated by the seller; it is documented only by the photographs
- Neither the papers nor the shirasaya appear in the photographs
Score
103.8 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
0
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0
-
Blade
+5
67.7 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+18.8
Price: the more affordable, the more points +18.8
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
- 67.7 cm
- Sori
- 2.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Kiyosa
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Kyōroku 2 (1529)
- Province
- Satsuma
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,03 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,67 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,43 cm
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