Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Koyama Munetsugu dated Kaei 2 (1849), signed as Bizen no Suke, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers, koshirae and shirasaya.
Koyama Munetsugu was one of the leading swordsmiths of the late Edo period; according to the original seller, he was born in Shirakawa (Mutsu province), worked in Edo and received the title Bizen no Suke in 1845. The tang bears on the omote the signature 備前介藤原宗次 (Bizen no Suke Fujiwara Munetsugu) and on the ura the date 嘉永二年正月吉日 (Kaei ni-nen shōgatsu kichijitsu), 1849. The photographs show an intact tang with a single mekugi-ana and a gunome midare hamon. The original seller describes a mokume and ō-itame jigane with chikei, reminiscent of Norishige, and a ko-gunome midare hamon with konie, ashi, yō and kinsuji, and states that the blade shows no forging flaws. Nagasa 71.2 cm, sori 1.67 cm. The photographed koshirae has a tsuka with green ito, an iron tsuba and shakudō nanako-ji fuchi-kashira with chrysanthemums, matching menuki and a lacquered saya; the listing does not date it. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, issued in Reiwa 4.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 備前介藤原宗次 (Bizen no Suke Fujiwara Munetsugu), 嘉永二年正月吉日 (Kaei ni-nen shōgatsu kichijitsu), 1849
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
- Tang intact in the photographs, with a single mekugi-ana
- Mokume and ō-itame jigane with chikei, according to the original seller
- Full koshirae with chrysanthemum fittings, plus shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The koshirae is neither dated nor papered on its own
- The shirasaya is stated in the listing but not shown in any photograph
- The listing does not mention the state of the polish
Score
155.1 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+10
71.2 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+10.1
Price: the more affordable, the more points +10.1
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
- 71.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.7 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Koyama Munetsugu
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 1st month of Kaei 2 (1849)
- Province
- Mutsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,06 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,03 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,75 cm
- Blade weight
- 830 g
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing