Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shintō katana signed 摂州住国光 (Sesshū-jū Kunimitsu), from the early Edo period, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, a restrained koshirae and shirasaya.
Katana of the Ōsaka shintō school, signed on the omote of the tang 摂州住国光 (Sesshū-jū Kunimitsu). The original seller places it in the early Edo period, in Settsu province, and links it to the Kunisuke lineage, a leading house of Bizen-den work in the shintō era. The blade measures 61.2 cm in nagasa with 1.6 cm of sori: a deep curve, marked taper towards the point and an extended chū-kissaki, a silhouette recalling the one-handed katana of the Sengoku era. According to the original seller, the jigane is a tightly forged ko-itame with areas of itame and masame towards the mune, and the hamon a nioi-based suguha with ko-nie and plentiful ashi, with a straight bōshi turning back in komaru. The photographs show a short, intact tang with a kurijiri tip, katte-sagari yasurime and a single mekugi-ana. It comes with a restrained koshirae, with a pierced iron tsuba, a same-covered tsuka with ochre wrapping and a dark lacquered saya, and, according to the listing, with shirasaya. The original seller states NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Strong points
- Signature 摂州住国光 (Sesshū-jū Kunimitsu) on an intact tang with a single mekugi-ana.
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers stated by the original seller.
- Deeply curved silhouette with an extended chū-kissaki, in the Bizen tradition.
- Presented with koshirae and shirasaya.
Points to bear in mind
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade or its polish.
- The original seller neither dates the koshirae nor describes its parts.
- The shirasaya and the papers are stated in the listing but do not appear in the photographs.
Score
100 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
61.2 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
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
- 61.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.6 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Sesshū Kunimitsu
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Kanbun era (1661–1673)
- Province
- Settsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,25 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,00 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,73 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,50 cm
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