Kantei

NH-1010 Rank 113

Kanefusa

Kotō katana by Kanefusa, of the generation settled in Seki (Mino), designated Jūyō Tōken by the NBTHK, with full koshirae and a shirasaya bearing a sayagaki.

Kotō (up to 1596)Circa Tenshō era (1573–1592)MinoNBTHK Jūyō

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Katana signed Kanefusa, a name borne by a line of Mino smiths active from the mid-Muromachi period into the shintō era and known for "Kanefusa-midare", a gunome with broad, rounded heads. According to the original seller, the mention of Seki in the signature points to a later generation, settled in Seki after leaving Akasaka, and the blade is placed around the Tenshō era. Shinogi-zukuri blade with iori-mune, saki-zori and an extended chū-kissaki; nagasa 69.9 cm, sori 2.0 cm. The seller describes a tight itame with fine ji-nie and a hamon of large notare with gunome, ko-ashi and ko-nie; the bōshi is midare-komi with a pointed tip. The tang, ubu according to the seller, with kurijiri, taka-no-ha yasurime and two mekugi-ana, carries on the omote a signature ending in 関善良兼房作 (probable reading: Seki Zenryō Kanefusa saku) and on the ura the character 藤 (probable reading: Fuji). It comes with a koshirae: tsuka wrapped in black silk ito, black lacquered saya, iron tsuba with peonies and lion, iron fuchi with dragon and iron menuki with centipedes in gold iroe, together with a shirasaya with sayagaki. Designated Jūyō Tōken by the NBTHK at its 19th session, according to the original seller.

Strong points

  • NBTHK Jūyō Tōken designation (19th session), according to the original seller
  • Tang ubu according to the seller, signed, with two mekugi-ana visible in the photographs
  • Hamon of large notare with gunome, typical of the Kanefusa line
  • Complete koshirae with iron fittings described by the seller
  • Shirasaya with ink sayagaki

Points to bear in mind

  • The original seller does not state the condition of the blade, and the small photographs are not enough to judge it.
  • The Jūyō certificate does not appear in the photographs.
  • The mounting is not dated by the seller.
  • The meaning of the character 藤 (probable reading: Fuji) on the ura is unknown, according to the original seller.

Score breakdown

54.4/100

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 20 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana
  3. Mounting 1 of 18 Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
  4. Declared condition 11 of 20 Condition not declared
  5. Blade 8 of 8 69.9 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 0.4 of 10 Rank 146 of 152 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest