Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Bizen katana signed by Sukesada of Osafune and dated 1512, with declared Tokubetsu Hozon papers, in shirasaya and with its koshirae.
Katana of the Osafune school of Bizen, made by Sukesada in the heart of the Sengoku period. The tang is signed on the omote 備前国住長船祐定作 (Bizen no kuni-jū Osafune Sukesada saku) and dated on the ura 永正九年八月吉日 (Eishō ku-nen hachigatsu kichijitsu). Nagasa is 61.2 cm with 0.9 cm of sori; according to the original seller, the curvature is shallow, the blade tapers towards the point and the kissaki is somewhat extended. The photographs show a bōhi with soebi on both sides and a regular undulating hamon; the seller describes a tightly forged itame with chikei and utsuri, and a nioi-based hamon with ashi and rounded spots of hardening. The tang keeps its signature and kurijiri tip, with three mekugi-ana, two of them plugged: the machi has been moved up, and the groove now ends below it. The complete mounting appears in the photographs: black lacquered saya, tsuka with same and ito, iron tsuba pierced in a net pattern, fuchi-kashira, menuki, kōgai and kozuka. The original seller states that the blade carries NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers and is kept in shirasaya.
Strong points
- Full signature and date: Eishō 9 (1512), Sengoku period
- Osafune school of Bizen, the leading kotō school of its time
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers according to the original seller
- Bōhi with soebi visible on both sides
- Supplied with shirasaya and a complete koshirae with kōgai and kozuka
Points to bear in mind
- Machi-okuri: three mekugi-ana, two of them plugged
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
- The mounting is neither dated nor described by the original seller
- The papers and the shirasaya do not appear in the photographs
Score
43.6 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−20
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
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
0
61.2 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+3.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points +3.6
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
- 0.9 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Osafune Sukesada
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- 8th month of Eishō 9 (1512)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,00 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,95 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,85 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,45 cm
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