Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shintō katana signed by Kunishige with the title Yamashiro Daijō, from the Edo branch of the Mizuta school, with an ubu tang, Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper and shirasaya.
Katana signed 山城大掾源国重 (Yamashiro Daijō Minamoto Kunishige), from the branch of the Mizuta school established in Edo. According to the original seller, it is the work of the second-generation Kunishige of the Edo Mizuta line, a lineage that goes back to the Kunishige of Mizuta in Bitchū province, and it dates to the Jōkyō era (1684–1688). The blade measures 70.3 cm in nagasa with 1.3 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.01 cm, a sakihaba of 2.08 cm and a kasane of 7.2 mm at the base. According to the original seller, the hamon is an ō-gunome midare with abundant ko-nie and the jigane a ko-mokume with frequent chikei; the photographs show a broad, undulating gunome hamon along the whole blade. The tang is ubu, with a single mekugi-ana, sujikai yasurime and the signature chiselled on the omote beside the hole. It is kept in shirasaya, without mounts. It comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, visible in the photographs with the same signature.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana and full signature bearing the title Yamashiro Daijō
- Broad gunome hamon, ō-gunome midare with ko-nie according to the original seller
- Kept in shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- Offered without koshirae, in shirasaya only
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade or the date of its polish
- The smith's generation comes from the original seller; the signature does not state it
Score
100 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
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
70.3 cm: within the usable range +10
-
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
- 70.3 cm
- Sori
- 1.3 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Jōkyō era (1684–1688)
- Province
- Yamashiro
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,01 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,08 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,72 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,51 cm
- Blade weight
- 650 g