Kantei

NH-0462 Rank 63

Nagashima Yoshikatsu

Katana by Nagashima Yoshikatsu of the Katsumura workshop serving the Mito domain, dated early 1865, with an ubu tang, koshirae and shirasaya, and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

Shintō (1596-1780)2nd month of Genji 2 (1865)HitachiNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Nagashima Yoshikatsu worked for the Mito domain in Hitachi province as a pupil of Katsumura Norikatsu within the Katsumura workshop, which forged at the clan's residence in Koishikawa, Edo. According to the original seller, he acted as daisaku for the first two Norikatsu, which explains why his signed work is scarce. Shinogi-zukuri blade with iori-mune, 76.9 cm nagasa and 1.3 cm sori, with an extended chū-kissaki. The original seller describes a well-forged itame with ji-nie and chikei, and a gunome hamon with togariba, plentiful ashi and a deep, bright nioiguchi; the bōshi runs in midare and turns back in komaru. The tang is ubu, with sujikai yasurime and one mekugi-ana, signed “Suifu-jū Nagashima Yoshikatsu kore o tsukuru” and dated “Genji ni-nen kinoto-ushi chūshun”. It comes with a silver habaki, a shirasaya and an uchigatana-koshirae with black lacquered saya, openwork iron tsuba with a gilt rim, dark fuchi-kashira engraved with flowers and gilt menuki. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2019). The photographs also include its plate in a publication devoted to Mito swords and fittings.

Strong points

  • Signed and dated 1865 by a smith of the Mito Katsumura workshop, whose signed work is scarce
  • Ubu tang with sujikai yasurime and a single mekugi-ana
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
  • Complete uchigatana-koshirae and shirasaya
  • Published in a book on Mito swords and fittings, as the photographs show
  • One-piece silver habaki

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller does not state the condition of the blade; the photographs show a polish in good order, but they are no substitute for inspection.
  • The mounting is undated, and the ito, the saya lacquer and the sageo look recent: they appear to have been redone.
  • The koshirae has no paper of its own.

Score breakdown

62.2/100

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 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
  3. Mounting -3 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · restored: relacquered or new saya, rewrapped ito and new sageo
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 76.9 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 2.2 of 10 Rank 118 of 151 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest