Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Masasuke of Tosa, signed and dated in the 2nd month of Meiji 2 (1869), with an ubu tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper. Presented in shirasaya.
Katana by Masasuke, a smith of Tosa province whom the original seller places as active around the Tenpō era and who is traditionally said to have studied under Nankai Tarō Tomotaka; his own signature presents him as a samurai of the Tosa domain. The original seller notes that his surviving works are rare. The blade, shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and ō-kissaki, measures 80.8 cm with a sori of 0.4 cm: long, thick in kasane and shallow in curvature, a powerful form. According to the original seller, the jigane is a tight itame with ji-nie, the hamon a suguha with nezumi-ashi and a bright nioiguchi, and the bōshi straight with a ko-maru turn-back. The tang is ubu, with keshō-yasuri and one mekugi-ana; the omote bears the signature 土佐士源正甫造 (Tosa-shi Minamoto Masasuke tsukuru) and the ura the date 明治二年二月日 (Meiji ninen nigatsu hi). It comes in shirasaya with a two-piece silver-foiled habaki, without mounts. It holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper no. 1024085, issued in 2025, which records the same signature and date.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 土佐士源正甫造 (Tosa-shi Minamoto Masasuke tsukuru), 明治二年二月日 (Meiji ninen nigatsu hi)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (no. 1024085), visible in the photographs
- Ubu tang with keshō-yasuri and a single mekugi-ana
- Long 80.8 cm blade with thick kasane and ō-kissaki
- Work of a Tosa smith of whom, according to the original seller, few pieces survive
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade comes in shirasaya
- The original seller does not state the blade's condition or the date of polish
- Very shallow sori (0.4 cm), characteristic of this blade's form
Score
108.1 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+15
80.8 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+23.1
Price: the more affordable, the more points +23.1
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
- 80.8 cm
- Sori
- 0.4 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Tosa Masasuke
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Meiji 2 (1869)
- Province
- Tosa
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,39 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,85 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,76 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,65 cm