Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Signed katana by Yukinaga of the Takada school of Bungo, early Edo period, with an ubu tang, shirasaya, uchigatana koshirae and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
Katana by Yukinaga, a smith of the Takada school of Bungo province, active according to the original seller from the Keichō to the Manji eras, at the start of the Edo period; the same seller ranks him among the ryō-wazamono for the cutting quality of his work. The blade has a nagasa of 62.9 cm and a sori of 1.1 cm: shinogi-zukuri, iori-mune, chū-kissaki and bōhi on both sides. The photographs show a gunome hamon with pointed elements (togariba); according to the original seller, the jigane is a well-forged itame mixed with mokume, and the bōshi runs straight with hakikake before turning back in a round tip. The tang, declared ubu and consistent with that in the photographs, has katte-sagari file marks, two mekugi-ana and the signature 豊州高田住藤原行長 (Hōshū Takada-jū Fujiwara Yukinaga). It comes with a two-piece silver habaki, a shirasaya and an uchigatana koshirae: black lacquered saya, pierced iron tsuba with interlocking circles, black fuchi-kashira with waves in relief and a tsuka of pale same with black wrapping. NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers issued in 2026.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Ubu tang with full signature and two mekugi-ana
- Smith ranked ryō-wazamono according to the original seller
- Supplied with shirasaya and uchigatana koshirae
- Two-piece silver habaki
Points to bear in mind
- The mounting is undated; the photographs show a tight, clean wrapping and unmarked lacquer, consistent with recent restoration
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade or the date of the polish
Score
94.8 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+25
Tang intact according to the seller at origin, with 2 mekugi-ana +25
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
−10
Mounting described, undated +5 · relacquered saya −10 · rewrapped ito −5
-
Blade
0
62.9 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+29.8
Price: the more affordable, the more points +29.8
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
- 62.9 cm
- Sori
- 1.1 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Takada Yukinaga
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Early Edo period (c. 1658)
- Province
- Bungo
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,07 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,40 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,67 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,50 cm
- Length when mounted
- 92 cm
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