Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Fujiwara Kiyondo, pupil of Minamoto Kiyomaro, with a commission signature dated 1866; ubu tang, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper and shirasaya.
Katana by Fujiwara Kiyondo, pupil of Minamoto Kiyomaro, the so-called "Yotsuya Masamune". According to the original seller, he was born in Shōnai (Dewa) in 1827, joined Kiyomaro's workshop in Edo in 1852 and, after his master's death in 1854, settled his debts and supported his family; in 1857 he became smith to the Shōnai domain and in 1867 received the title Buzen no Kami. The blade, in shinogi-zukuri with iori-mune and chū-kissaki, measures 75.4 cm with 2.1 cm of sori and a motohaba of 3.40 cm. The photographs show a suguha hamon with gentle notare; the original seller describes a tightly forged itame jigane tending to masame, abundant ji-nie and chikei, and a straight bōshi turning back in komaru. The tang is ubu, with sujikai file marks and one mekugi-ana. It bears a commission signature: on the omote 為伊東平寿主藤原清人於江府造之 (probable reading: Itō Heiju-nushi no tame ni Fujiwara Kiyondo Kōfu ni oite kore o tsukuru) and on the ura the date 慶応二年八月日 (Keiō ni-nen hachigatsu hi). It is kept in shirasaya with a one-piece gold-foiled habaki and comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Strong points
- Commission signature dated to the 8th month of Keiō 2 (1866)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
- Ubu tang with sujikai file marks and a single mekugi-ana
- Work of a direct pupil of Minamoto Kiyomaro
- Long, robust blade: 75.4 cm nagasa and 3.40 cm motohaba
- In shirasaya, with a one-piece gold-foiled habaki
Points to bear in mind
- No mounting (koshirae): the blade is offered in shirasaya only.
- The listing makes no explicit statement on the state of preservation.
- The reading of the recipient's name in the commission signature is probable, not certain.
Score
86 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
75.4 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+1
Price: the more affordable, the more points +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
- 75.4 cm
- Sori
- 2.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Saitō Kiyondo
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Keiō 2 (1866)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,40 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,70 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,79 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,60 cm