Kantei

NH-0433 Rank 86

Satō Kiyosa

Kotō katana by Satō Kiyosa, a Satsuma smith of the Sengoku period, signed as a tachi-mei and dated Kyōroku 2 (1529), with a declared Tokubetsu Hozon paper and a black-lacquered koshirae.

Kotō (up to 1596)2nd month of Kyōroku 2 (1529)SatsumaNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Katana by Satō Kiyosa, a Satsuma smith of the Sengoku period who, according to the original seller, trained under Kiyomitsu of Osafune and forged Hosokawa Yūsai's 'Yaedatami'. The blade, in shinogi-zukuri with a high shinogi and iori-mune, has a nagasa of 67.7 cm and a sori of 2.3 cm, deeply curved, with a chū-kissaki. The seller describes an itame jihada with mokume and stretches of ayasugi, with bō-utsuri rising from the base; an ito-suguha hamon in ko-nie with a tight nioiguchi and some nijūba; and a bōshi togari on the omote and ko-maru on the ura. The tang, short in proportion to the blade, ends in a kurijiri with kiri yasurime and a single mekugi-ana; it bears the signature 'Sasshū-jū Kiyosa' as a tachi-mei and the Kyōroku 2 date on the other side, both legible in the photographs; the seller suggests it may have been conceived as a tachi. The blade comes in shirasaya and is accompanied by a koshirae with a black-lacquered saya, a tsuka with same and black wrap, a dragon kashira and an iron sukashi tsuba, documented only in the photographs. It carries an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate declared by the seller; the paper is not photographed.

Strong points

  • Signature 'Sasshū-jū Kiyosa' as a tachi-mei and Kyōroku 2 (1529) date legible on the tang
  • Tang with a single mekugi-ana and kurijiri, no sign of shortening in the photographs
  • Ito-suguha in ko-nie with nijūba, bō-utsuri and ayasugi-hada, according to the original seller
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate, declared by the seller
  • Complete black-lacquered koshirae with iron sukashi tsuba and dragon kashira

Points to bear in mind

  • The koshirae is neither described nor dated by the seller: it is documented only in the photographs
  • The seller makes no statement on the blade's condition and the photographs are not sufficient to assess it
  • The certificate does not appear in the photographs

Score breakdown

56.9/100

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 18 of 18 Signed and with an engraved date
  2. Tang 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the photographs
  3. Mounting -2 of 18 Mounting documented only in the photographs
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 6 of 8 67.7 cm: close to the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 3.9 of 10 Rank 85 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest