Kantei

NH-0465 Rank 88

Mutsu-Daijō Tachibana Morimune

Shintō katana signed by Mutsu-Daijō Tachibana Morimune, smith to the Hirosaki domain, with an ubu tang, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, shirasaya and a complete koshirae.

Shintō (1596-1780)Genna era (1615–1624)MutsuNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

According to the original seller, Morimune of Mutsu province descends from the Mokusa line and served as retained smith to the Hirosaki (Tsugaru) domain, a pupil of the third-generation Tsunahiro of Sagami; the first generation worked around the Genna era. The blade, in shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and a slightly extended chū-kissaki, measures 71.2 cm with 1.5 cm of sori. The seller describes a well-forged itame with ji-nie and a nie-deki hamon of gunome and chōji midare with ashi, yō, kinsuji and sunagashi, rising towards the point; the bōshi continues in midare and turns back round. The photographs show the ubu tang, with sujikai file marks and a single mekugi-ana, signed Mutsu Daijō Tachibana Morimune. It comes with a two-piece silver habaki, a shirasaya and an uchigatana koshirae with a brown ishime-lacquered saya, a pierced iron tsuba with a floral design, fuchi-kashira bearing a tiger highlighted in gold and gilt floral menuki. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, issued in 2024.

Strong points

  • Ubu tang with full signature: Mutsu Daijō Tachibana Morimune
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2024)
  • Nie-deki hamon of gunome and chōji midare full of activity
  • Complete koshirae with gold-highlighted tiger fuchi-kashira
  • Shirasaya and two-piece silver habaki

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller describes the mounting but neither dates it nor supplies a paper for it.
  • The photographs show a tight, clean ito without wear: probably re-wrapped.
  • The original seller makes no written statement on the blade's condition.
  • The blade bears no engraved date: the Genna attribution is the original seller's.

Score breakdown

58.1/100

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 10 of 18 Signed, with no engraved date
  2. Tang 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
  3. Mounting 0 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · restored: rewrapped ito
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 71.2 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 3.1 of 10 Rank 104 of 151 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest