Kantei

NH-0440 Rank 48

Tsuramitsu

Katana signed and dated 1489 by Osafune Tsuramitsu, an extremely rare Sue-Bizen smith, published in the Meitō Zukan; ubu nakago, declared NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon and an itomaki-no-tachi koshirae with kiri crests.

Kotō (up to 1596)8th month of Chōkyō 3 (1489)BizenNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Katana by Osafune Tsuramitsu, a smith of the Osafune school of Bizen from the late Muromachi period, of whom hardly any works are known: the original seller notes that this may be the only one he has examined and that the signature is almost identical to that of Ukyō-no-suke Katsumitsu, suggesting a connection between the two. The blade is published in Fujishiro's Meitō Zukan (1937) and in the Nihon Tōkō Jiten, where the smith is rated jō-saku. Shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, deep sori, thick kasane and chū-kissaki, with bō-hi and soe-hi on both sides; nagasa 64.5 cm, sori 2.9 cm. According to the original seller, tight ko-itame with thick ji-nie; a suguha-based hamon with ko-gunome, kuichigai-ba and ko-midare in ko-nie, with a bright nioiguchi; sugu bōshi with ko-maru. Ubu nakago with two mekugi-ana; signed “Bizen no kuni jū Osafune Tsuramitsu” with the invocation “Hachiman Daibosatsu” and, on the ura, the date of the 8th month of Chōkyō 3 (1489) and the owner's name, Fujiwara Wakamiya. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate declared by the seller. It comes with an itomaki-no-tachi koshirae with a kin-nashiji lacquered saya strewn with gold kiri crests, silver fittings with chrysanthemums, a shitogi-type tsuba and kiri menuki, plus a gold habaki.

Strong points

  • Extremely rare smith of the Osafune school: the original seller knows hardly any other work by him
  • Published in Fujishiro's Meitō Zukan (1937) and in the Nihon Tōkō Jiten, rated jō-saku
  • Full signature with the invocation “Hachiman Daibosatsu”, the date of the 8th month of Chōkyō 3 (1489) and the owner's name
  • Ubu nakago with two mekugi-ana, per the listing and the photograph of the blade
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken, as declared by the original seller
  • Itomaki-no-tachi koshirae with kin-nashiji saya, gold kiri crests and silver fittings with chrysanthemums

Points to bear in mind

  • The mounting is described by the original seller but not dated; its link to this blade is not documented
  • The NBTHK certificate does not appear in the photographs: the level is the one declared by the seller
  • No close-ups of the nakago or the hamon: the signature is checked against the published oshigata
  • The photographs show age wear on the ito, the braid and the lacquer of the saya

Score breakdown

62.7/100

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 seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana
  3. Mounting 3 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · with a family crest (mon)
  4. Declared condition 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
  5. Blade 4 of 8 64.5 cm: outside the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 0 of 4 No shirasaya: one will have to be made
  7. Price 0.7 of 10 Rank 130 of 139 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest