Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Taikei Naotane, signed and dated to the second month of Bunka 14 (1817), in Bizen style, with shirasaya and uchigatana koshirae; Tokubetsu Hozon paper declared.
Katana by Taikei Naotane, a native of Dewa and pupil of Suishinshi Masahide in Edo, one of the great masters of shinshintō. According to the original seller, it is one of his Bizen interpretations in the manner of Kagemitsu: a tightly forged ko-itame jigane with chōji utsuri, and a chōji midare hamon of sakagari tendency with abundant ashi and a midare-komi bōshi. Both faces carry a bōhi with tsurehi, ending in marudome above the machi. The tang, which the photographs show intact with a single mekugi-ana, is signed 出羽國住人大慶庄司直胤 (Dewa no kuni jūnin Taikei Shōji Naotane) with kaō and dated 文化十四年仲春 (Bunka jūyonen chūshun), the second month of 1817; the listing places it at the smith's 39th year. It comes with a gold-foiled double habaki, a shirasaya declared by the original seller and an uchigatana koshirae: indigo-dyed leather wrap over white same, peony menuki, an iron tsuba with cherry blossoms signed on the seppa-dai, and a saya lacquered in black ishime and brown urumi. According to the original seller, it holds an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper.
Strong points
- Work of Taikei Naotane, a shinshintō master
- Signed with kaō and dated 1817
- Bizen interpretation in chōji midare, according to the original seller
- Tang intact according to the photographs
- Uchigatana koshirae with signed tsuba, plus shirasaya
- Declared NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
Points to bear in mind
- The listing says nothing about the condition of the blade
- The koshirae is undated; the wrap and lacquer look recent or redone
- The paper and the shirasaya do not appear in the photographs
Score
91.3 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +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
0
Mounting described, undated +5 · signed fittings: 1 +10 · relacquered saya −10 · rewrapped ito −5
-
Blade
+10
70.5 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+1.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +1.3
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
- 70.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.9 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
- Taikei Naotane
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Bunka 14 (1817)
- Province
- Dewa
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,12 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,00 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,67 cm
- Length when mounted
- 106,05 cm
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