Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Inoue Izumi no Kami Kunisada, second generation of Ōsaka, with the imperial chrysanthemum on the tang and dated 2nd month of Manji 4 (1661); in shirasaya, with Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana by Inoue Izumi no Kami Kunisada, second generation of the Ōsaka Kunisada line, later known as Shinkai and regarded as one of the great masters of the shintō period. The original seller rates it shintō saijō saku and places it in the first year in which the smith was licensed to engrave the imperial chrysanthemum on the tang. The blade measures 71.2 cm in nagasa with 0.5 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.08 cm and a sakihaba of 1.97 cm; the photographs show an undulating notare hamon. The tang, which in the photographs keeps a continuous shape and file pattern, has two mekugi-ana and bears on the omote the chrysanthemum (kikumon) and the signature 井上和泉守国貞 (Inoue Izumi no Kami Kunisada), and on the ura the date 萬治四年二月日 (Manji yonen nigatsu hi). It is kept in a shirasaya with an ink sayagaki and has no mounting. It holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken certificate issued in 2022.
Strong points
- Work of the second-generation Kunisada, one of the great names of Ōsaka shintō
- Imperial chrysanthemum (kikumon) engraved on the tang
- Dated 2nd month of Manji 4 (1661)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2022)
- Tang of intact appearance, signed and dated
- Shirasaya with ink sayagaki
Points to bear in mind
- No mounting: the blade is offered in shirasaya only
- The original seller does not state the condition or polish of the blade
- The tang has two mekugi-ana
Score
70.9 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
71.2 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−4.1
Price: the more affordable, the more points −4.1
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
- 71.2 cm
- Sori
- 0.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Manji 4 (1661)
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,08 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,97 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,71 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,57 cm