Kantei

NH-1016 Rank 27

Fujita Kengo Nagahiro

Katana signed by Fujita Kengo Nagahiro, of the Yokoyama school, dated 1863 on the tang. It comes with a black-lacquered mounting and with a shirasaya storage scabbard.

Shintō (1596-1780)15th day of the 12th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863)SuoNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Late Edo katana signed 長州萩住藤田謙吾永弘作 (Chōshū Hagi-jū Fujita Kengo Nagahiro saku), a smith who, according to the original seller, trained in the school of Yokoyama Kaganosuke Sukenaga and also used the art name 真龍子 (probable reading: Shinryūshi). The blade measures 81.6 cm nagasa with 1.4 cm sori, with iori-mune and bō-hi carved on both faces; the photographs show a notare hamon with gunome, chōji and pointed elements, a bright nioiguchi and abundant ko-nie, over a tightly forged ko-itame jigane. The tang, declared ubu by the original seller and confirmed as such by the images, retains two mekugi-ana and bears on the reverse 君万歳文久三年十二月十五日 (Kimi banzai Bunkyū sannen jūnigatsu jūgonichi), that is, the 15th day of the 12th month of Bunkyū 3 (1863). The sword is accompanied by a katana mounting with black-lacquered saya, an iron tsuba decorated with gold clouds and a gilt habaki, as well as a shirasaya. The original seller states an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon certificate, which does not appear in the photographs.

Strong points

  • Full smith signature and a Bunkyū 3 (1863) date cut into an ubu tang with two mekugi-ana.
  • Long blade of 81.6 cm nagasa with bō-hi carved on both faces.
  • Notare hamon with gunome and chōji, bright nioiguchi and ko-nie, as shown in the photographs.
  • Preserved both in a black-lacquered mounting and in a shirasaya storage scabbard.
  • The original seller states an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate.

Points to bear in mind

  • The certificate appears in none of the photographs: its level rests solely on the original seller's statement.
  • The original seller describes the mounting but does not date it, so its age cannot be taken as established.

Score breakdown

70.3/100

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 18 of 18 Signed and with an 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 17 of 20 Sound condition according to the seller at origin
  5. Blade 6 of 8 81.6 cm: close to the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 4.3 of 10 Rank 92 of 161 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest