Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Signed katana from the early (Ko-Mizuta) phase of the Mizuta school of Bitchū, late Muromachi according to the original seller, with shirasaya, Higo-style koshirae and Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper.
Katana from the Mizuta school of Bitchū province, from its pre-Edo phase, which the NBTHK paper identifies as Ko-Mizuta (古水田, Ko-Mizuta). According to the original seller, it is a work of the late Muromachi period. The blade has a nagasa of 62.2 cm and a sori of 1.1 cm. The seller describes a shape close to kanmuri-otoshi, with the shinogi-ji thinned in the upper part, a fine ko-itame jigane with utsuri, a nie-deki suguha hamon with ashi and yō, and an undulating bōshi. The tang, shown intact in the photographs with two mekugi-ana, is signed 備中国呰部住大月三郎兵衛国重作 (Bitchū no Kuni Azae-jū Ōtsuki Saburobei Kunishige saku). It has a single gold-foiled habaki. It comes with a shirasaya and a Higo-style koshirae that the seller describes without dating it: pierced iron tsuba with plum blossoms, shakudō kashira, copper kojiri engraved with waves and a leather-wrapped tsuka. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, issued in December 2019.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper attributing the blade to Ko-Mizuta
- Long, complete signature on the tang, uncommon in the school according to the original seller
- Tang intact in the photographs, with two mekugi-ana
- Supplied with shirasaya and Higo-style koshirae
Points to bear in mind
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
- The koshirae is described but not dated
- The tang's integrity is inferred from the photographs; the listing does not state it
Score
105 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
0
62.2 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+30
Price: the more affordable, the more points +30
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
- 62.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Mizuta Kunishige
- Period
- Kotō (up to 1596)
- Dating
- Late Muromachi period
- Province
- Bichu
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 2,85 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,76 cm
- Blade weight
- 555 g
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