Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed 兼元 (Kanemoto) and attributed by an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper to Magoroku Kanemoto, the late Muromachi master of Mino; with koshirae and shirasaya.
A blade of the Mino tradition from the late Muromachi period (16th century). The tang, which looks intact in the photographs, has two mekugi-ana and a dark patina, and bears the signature 兼元 (Kanemoto) on the omote. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate no. 153476, dated 22 August 2008, attributes it specifically to 孫六兼元 (Magoroku Kanemoto), the second smith of the name and one of the great Mino masters, credited by the original seller with perfecting the sanbonsugi temper line. Nagasa 69.2 cm, sori 2.0 cm; the photographs show a gunome hamon with pointed peaks. It comes in shirasaya and with a koshirae: a pierced iron tsuba with pine, birds and a monkey; multi-metal fuchi-kashira with figure scenes on a nanako ground; heron-shaped menuki; a tsuka with green ito over pale same; and a reddish lacquered saya which the original seller describes as having an ishime-ji finish. The original seller notes a couple of kitae kizu on the blade.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (no. 153476) attributing the blade to Magoroku Kanemoto
- Signature 兼元 (Kanemoto) on a tang that looks intact, with two mekugi-ana
- A work of the Mino tradition from the Sengoku era
- Supplied with a complete koshirae and a shirasaya
- Pierced iron tsuba with pine, birds and monkey, and multi-metal fuchi-kashira
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller declares a couple of kitae kizu on the blade
- The original seller describes the mounting but does not date it
- In the photographs the ito looks tight and unworn: it appears to have been redone
Score
93.2 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
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Declared condition
−5
The original seller declares flaws 0 · small kitae-ware, away from the edge −5
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
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Mounting
0
Mounting described, undated +5 · rewrapped ito −5
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Blade
+10
69.2 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−1.8
Price: the more affordable, the more points −1.8
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
- 69.2 cm
- Sori
- 2 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
- Magoroku Kanemoto
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Taiei era (1521–1528)
- Province
- Mino
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Minor flaws declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
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