Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana by Hosokawa Tadayoshi, signed and dated 1853, freshly polished and in shirasaya, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana by Hosokawa Tadayoshi, a shinshintō smith within the circle of the Suishinshi Masahide school, who served the Sakura domain in Shimōsa province. The tang is signed 総州佐倉士細川忠義造 (Sōshū Sakura-shi Hosokawa Tadayoshi tsukuru) and dated 嘉永六年二月日 (Kaei roku-nen nigatsu hi), the second month of 1853, as recorded on the paper. It is a long shinogi-zukuri blade with a nagasa of 77.8 cm, a sori of 2.2 cm, a motohaba of 3.11 cm and a weight of 945 g. According to the original seller, the hamon is suguha, the blade has been freshly polished and is in excellent condition; the photographs show bright steel and a copper habaki. It comes in shirasaya, without mounts. The NBTHK has certified it Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken, and the origami appears in the photographs.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 2nd month of Kaei 6 (1853)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Recent polish according to the original seller
- Long blade with a nagasa of 77.8 cm
- Kept in shirasaya with a copper habaki
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya, without koshirae.
- The only photograph of the tang is small: it does not allow the signature to be read or the tang to be confirmed as ubu.
Score
165 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+5
Tang not declared, with a single mekugi-ana +5
-
Declared condition
+50
Immaculate according to the original seller +40 · recent polish +10
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+15
77.8 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
-
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
- 77.8 cm
- Sori
- 2.2 cm
- Tang
- Tang not declared
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hosokawa Tadayoshi
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Kaei 6 (1853)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Recent polish declared by the seller at origin
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,11 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,16 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,84 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,60 cm
- Blade weight
- 945 g