Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Oku Motohira, a leading figure of Satsuma shinshintō, dated autumn 1806, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, an award-winning 2026 polish, koshirae and shirasaya.
Oku Motohira was, alongside Hōki no Kami Masayuki, the foremost smith of Satsuma shinshintō; according to the original seller, he received the title Yamato no Kami in Kansei 1 (1789) and excelled in the Sōshū style. This katana has a nagasa of 70.2 cm, a sori of 1.8 cm, a motohaba of 3.17 cm and a motokasane of 0.65 cm: a wide, robust blade. The photographs show a gunome-midare hamon mixed with notare; the original seller describes an itame jigane with abundant ji-nie and chikei, and a very active hamon with kinsuji, sunagashi and inazuma. The tang, which appears intact in the photographs with one mekugi-ana, is signed 奥大和守平朝臣元平 (Oku Yamato no Kami Taira no Ason Motohira) and dated 文化三寅秋 (Bunka san tora aki), autumn 1806. According to the original seller, the 2026 polish won second place among the gold prizes in the polishing section of the 16th exhibition of new swords, polishing and mounting crafts; the photographs include the catalogue page. It comes with a koshirae, with a black lacquered saya, an iron tsuba with gold flowers and a kashira with a dragon, and with a shirasaya. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Signed and dated autumn 1806; intact tang according to the photographs
- 2026 polish awarded second place among the gold prizes, according to the original seller
- With koshirae and shirasaya
- Work of one of the two great shinshintō smiths of Satsuma
Points to bear in mind
- The listing neither dates nor describes the mounting: it is documented only in the photographs
- The saya shows a glossy, unmarked lacquer that suggests relacquering
- The listing does not state the blade's condition beyond the recent polish
Score
97.1 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs +20
-
Declared condition
−10
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20 · recent polish +10
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−10
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0 · relacquered saya −10
-
Blade
+10
70.2 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+7.1
Price: the more affordable, the more points +7.1
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
- 70.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Oku Motohira
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Autumn of Bunka 3 (1806)
- Province
- Satsuma
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Recent polish declared by the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,17 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,24 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,65 cm
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