Kantei

NH-0468 Rank 4

Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro

Katana by Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro, early Edo master of Hizen, with a signed ubu nakago, shirasaya and a black sendan-maki lacquer koshirae; blade and mounting both hold NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.

Shintō (1596-1780)Early Edo period (c. 1648)HizenNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

A blade by Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro, second generation of the Hizen Tadayoshi line: son of the first Tadayoshi, he took over the forge at nineteen, worked as smith to the Saga domain and received the title Ōmi Daijō in 1641; he is ranked among the ō-wazamono. According to the original seller, the blade dates from the early Edo period, around 1648, and is described as sound. Shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune, 71.8 cm nagasa and 1.6 cm sori, a wide mihaba and a slightly extended chū-kissaki. Fine ko-itame with ji-nie and chikei, and a bright suguha in nie and nioi, with a straight bōshi turning back in ko-maru. The nakago is ubu, with katte-agari yasurime, one mekugi-ana and the full signature 肥前國住近江大掾藤原忠廣. Two-piece gold-foil habaki. It comes with a shirasaya and an uchigatana koshirae whose saya is lacquered black in sendan-maki style, with autumn-grass fittings: fuchi-kashira with gold and silver chrysanthemums, a signed fuchi, floral menuki and a round openwork tsuba. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (no. 122876, 1992) for the blade and Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu (no. 221589, 1992) for the mounting.

Strong points

  • Signed blade by Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro, an ō-wazamono and a central figure of the Hizen school
  • Ubu nakago with a single mekugi-ana and full signature
  • NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (no. 122876)
  • Koshirae with Tokubetsu Hozon Tōsōgu paper (no. 221589) and a signed fuchi
  • Also kept in shirasaya, with a two-piece gold-foil habaki

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller describes the mounting as an antique work without specifying the period.
  • The condition rests on the original seller's description and the photographs; no recent polish is declared.

Score breakdown

80/100

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 18 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin · with its own NBTHK paper · with a signed fitting
  4. Declared condition 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
  5. Blade 8 of 8 71.8 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 1 of 10 Rank 136 of 151 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest