Kantei

NH-0461 Rank 26

Osafune Moromitsu

Blade by Osafune Moromitsu of the Bizen Kozori group, signed and dated Shitoku 2 (1385) and designated Jūyō Tōken; ubu nakago, with shirasaya and a koshirae whose tsuba holds Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers.

Kotō (up to 1596)3rd month of Shitoku 2 (1385)BizenNBTHK Jūyō

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Blade by Osafune Moromitsu, a Bizen smith of the Kozori group, active in the late Nanbokuchō period; the NBTHK documentation shown in the photographs describes him as the son of Tomomitsu and the father of Morimitsu. Shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune, a deep sori of 2.2 cm and chū-kissaki, over a nagasa of 65.6 cm. The jigane is a tightly forged itame mixed with mokume, with thick jinie, abundant chikei and faint utsuri; the hamon combines ko-chōji, ko-gunome and ko-notare with ashi and yō, nioi-deki with ko-nie and fine sunagashi. The bōshi runs in notare and midarekomi, returning in komaru. The nakago is ubu, with kurijiri tip, katte-sagari yasurime and two mekugi-ana; it is signed “Bishū Osafune Moromitsu” and dated on the reverse to the 3rd month of Shitoku 2 (1385). The NBTHK records it as a tachi. It comes with a shirasaya and a koshirae: black lacquered saya with gold flecks, full-wrap same on the tsuka, gilt shishi menuki and fuchi-kashira with plum blossoms; the tsuba, an unsigned iron Akasaka piece, has its own Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper. Designated Jūyō Tōken at the 64th session (November 2018).

Strong points

  • Jūyō Tōken (64th session, 2018), with the certificate photographed
  • Signed and dated ubu nakago: 3rd month of Shitoku 2 (1385), a date prized in the smith's work
  • Characteristic work of the Osafune Kozori group, published in Tōken Bijutsu (May 2019)
  • Comes with both shirasaya and a complete koshirae
  • Iron Akasaka tsuba with Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu papers
  • Double habaki in gold foil

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller neither describes nor dates the mounting: it is documented only by the photographs.
  • The Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper covers the tsuba only, not the mounting as a whole.
  • The tsuka wrap looks clean and tight, without handling wear: probably redone.

Score breakdown

70.1/100

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 7 of 18 Mounting documented only in the photographs · with one fitting bearing an NBTHK paper · restored: rewrapped ito
  4. Declared condition 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
  5. Blade 4 of 8 65.6 cm: outside the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 0.1 of 10 Rank 149 of 151 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest