Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by the fifth Tadayoshi of Hizen, signed and with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper; it comes with a koshirae and a shirasaya.
Katana signed 肥前国近江守忠吉 (Hizen no Kuni Ōmi no Kami Tadayoshi), the work of the fifth generation of the Tadayoshi school of Hizen. According to the original seller, this smith received the title Ōmi no Kami in 1750 and worked until 1775, closing the Shintō-period Tadayoshi line. The blade has an iori-mune, a moderate sori of 1.2 cm and a broad, robust sugata: 68.7 cm nagasa, 3.1 cm motohaba, 2.2 cm sakihaba and a kasane of about 0.8 cm. A wide bō-hi runs on both sides. The original seller describes a fine, tight konuka-hada jigane typical of Hizen and a chū-suguha hamon that widens towards the kissaki. The tang, with two mekugi-ana, keeps its original end; the photographs suggest the machi has been moved up. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, dated Reiwa 7, confirms the attribution to the fifth generation. It comes with a koshirae with an iron tsuba showing a gold dragon among clouds, wave-pattern fuchi-kashira, a tsuka with white same and yellow ito and a black lacquered saya, together with a shirasaya, a silver habaki and bags.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper for the fifth generation
- Full signature with the title Ōmi no Kami
- Broad, thick sugata lightened by a bō-hi
- Supplied with both koshirae and shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The tang has two mekugi-ana and the photographs suggest a raised machi (machi-okuri)
- The original seller does not date the mounting; the ito appears to have been redone recently
Score
122.6 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−10
Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri) −10
-
Declared condition
+30
Healthy according to the original seller +30
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
0
Mounting described, undated +5 · rewrapped ito −5
-
Blade
+5
68.7 cm: close to the usable range +5
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+27.6
Price: the more affordable, the more points +27.6
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
- 68.7 cm
- Sori
- 1.2 cm
- Tang
- Full-length tang, with the machi moved up (machi-okuri)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hizen Tadayoshi
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Shintō period, c. 1750–1775
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Sound condition according to the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,1 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,2 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,8 cm
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