Kantei

NH-1018 Rank 15

Hosokawa Masayoshi

Shinshintō katana signed by Hosokawa Masayoshi and dated to the autumn of Kaei 2 (1849), with an unaltered tang, black-lacquer koshirae and shirasaya.

Shintō (1596-1780)Mid-autumn of Kaei 2 (1849)MusashiNBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon

Silhouette of the blade to scale, aligned at the machi

Photographs by the seller at origin.

Description

Shinshintō katana signed by Hosokawa Masayoshi, of the line trained in the Suishinshi school. According to the original seller, the smith came from Kanuma in Shimotsuke, studied under Suishinshi Masahide, was the son of the first Masayoshi and worked for the Tsuyama domain in Sakushū province. The blade measures 69.8 cm nagasa with 2.3 cm sori; the original seller describes a ko-itame jihada mixed with masame and very tightly forged, and a gunome-chōji midare hamon with abundant ashi and yō, kinsuji and sunagashi, together with bō-hi and soe-bi on both sides. The photographs show an unaltered tang with a single mekugi-ana, the signature 作陽幕下士細川正義 (Sakuyō bakka-shi Hosokawa Masayoshi) beside a kokuin stamp and, on the reverse, the date 嘉永二己酉年仲秋 (Kaei ni tsuchinoto-tori-doshi chūshū). It comes with a black-lacquer koshirae with an openwork iron tsuba of bamboo design and matching fuchi-kashira, plus a shirasaya for storage.

Strong points

  • Unaltered tang with the full signature 作陽幕下士細川正義 (Sakuyō bakka-shi Hosokawa Masayoshi) and a kokuin stamp
  • Carved date 嘉永二己酉年仲秋 (Kaei ni tsuchinoto-tori-doshi chūshū), corresponding to 1849
  • Work of the Hosokawa Masayoshi line, from the Suishinshi school
  • Black-lacquer koshirae with openwork iron bamboo tsuba and matching fuchi-kashira
  • Also retains its shirasaya for storage
  • Bō-hi with soe-bi carved on both sides of the blade

Points to bear in mind

  • The certificate does not appear in any photograph: the paper level is the one stated by the original seller.
  • The original seller describes the mounting but does not date it, so its period cannot be confirmed.
  • The mounting is shown in few images, which do not allow judging whether lacquer, wrap or sageo have been renewed.

Score breakdown

72.2/100

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 22 of 22 Tang intact according to the seller at origin
  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 8 of 8 69.8 cm: within the usable range
  6. Shirasaya 4 of 4 With a storage shirasaya
  7. Price 2.2 of 10 Rank 126 of 161 by price, from the most affordable to the dearest