Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
A gassaku katana from the main Hizen line, the joint work of its second and third masters, with an ubu tang and designated Jūyō Tōken by the NBTHK in 1970.
A joint work (gassaku) by Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro, second master of the main Hizen line, and his son Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi, the third, smiths in the service of the Nabeshima clan. The tang is ubu, with a pointed (kengyō) tip, katte-agari yasurime and a single mekugi-ana, and bears both long signatures: on the omote 同国住人陸奥守忠吉 (dōkoku jūnin Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi) and on the ura 肥前国住近江大掾藤原忠広 (Hizen no kuni-jū Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro). The blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, a fairly deep sori and a chū-kissaki; nagasa 73.9 cm, sori 2.2 cm. According to the original seller and the designation text, the jigane is a tightly forged ko-itame with fine ji-nie, the hamon a suguha-chō with gentle notare in ko-nie, with a tight, bright nioiguchi, and the bōshi runs straight with a ko-maru turn-back. The NBTHK designated it Jūyō Tōken at its 19th session on 1 June 1970, and the designation text considers it probably by the hand of the third master. It is kept in a shirasaya with an ink sayagaki; there is no koshirae.
Strong points
- NBTHK Jūyō Tōken, 19th session (1970)
- Gassaku signed by the second and third masters of the main Hizen line
- Ubu tang with both long signatures and a single mekugi-ana
- Shirasaya with an ink sayagaki
Points to bear in mind
- No koshirae: the blade is kept in shirasaya only.
- The listing states neither the condition of the blade nor the date of its last polish.
- The blade is undated; the original seller places it around the Manji era.
Score
145.9 pointscurrent max. 255
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Certificate
+140
NBTHK Jūyō paper +140
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
73.9 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
−14.1
Price: the more affordable, the more points −14.1
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
- 73.9 cm
- Sori
- 2.2 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Jūyō
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Circa Manji era (1658–1661)
- Province
- Hizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,0 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,0 cm