Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana by the tenth generation of Aizu Kanesada, signed and dated the 8th month of Ansei 5 (1858), with an ubu tang, suguha hamon and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper.
A blade by the tenth generation of the Aizu Kanesada, the line of smiths settled in Aizu, Mutsu province, since the late Muromachi period. Shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune and chū-kissaki, 69.7 cm in nagasa with 1.8 cm of sori, of balanced width and thickness (motohaba 3.0 cm, motokasane 0.78 cm) and a slender, elegant outline. According to the original seller, the jigane is a well-forged itame flowing towards the edge, with dense ji-nie and chikei; the hamon is a crisp suguha, and the bōshi runs straight and turns back in ko-maru. The photographs show this straight temper along the blade. The tang is ubu, with sujikai yasurime and one mekugi-ana, signed on the omote 陸奥会津臣兼定 (Mutsu Aizu-shin Kanesada) and dated on the ura 安政五年八月日 (Ansei go-nen hachigatsu hi). It is kept in shirasaya with a one-piece shakudō-covered habaki. It comes with the NBTHK 特別保存刀剣 (Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken) paper, which attributes the blade to the tenth generation and certifies signature and date.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, attributed to the tenth generation
- Signed and dated: 8th month of Ansei 5 (1858)
- Ubu tang with sujikai yasurime and a single mekugi-ana
- Crisp suguha on itame jigane, slender shape with chū-kissaki
- Kept in shirasaya with a shakudō habaki
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is offered in shirasaya only
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade or the date of its polish
Score
104.2 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
+10
69.7 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+24.2
Price: the more affordable, the more points +24.2
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
- 69.7 cm
- Sori
- 1.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Aizu Kanesada
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 8th month of Ansei 5 (1858)
- Province
- Mutsu
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,0 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,35 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,78 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,60 cm