Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by the first Sukehiro of Settsu, known as Soboro Sukehiro, signed and papered NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken; with a koshirae the original seller dates to the Edo period, and a shirasaya.
Katana signed by the first Sukehiro of Settsu, known as Soboro Sukehiro, a shintō smith of Ōsaka and father of the second Sukehiro, Echizen no Kami. According to the original seller, he studied under the first Kunisuke, set up on his own around 1648, and his katana are scarce. The blade measures 71.1 cm in nagasa with 1.57 cm of sori and, according to the seller, has a rounded mune, a wide motohaba and a thick kasane; itame jigane with chikei and ji-nie, and a gunome-chōji hamon in the Ichimonji manner with tobiyaki, kinsuji and nie-suji. The photographs show a midare of chōji and gunome with abundant ashi. The tang bears the signature 摂州住藤原助廣 (Sesshū-jū Fujiwara Sukehiro) and three mekugi-ana, two of them through the signature; the seller states that the blade was slightly shortened from about 2 shaku 5 sun. It comes with a koshirae the seller places in the Edo period, with a black lacquered saya, a round iron tsuba, a fuchi with a dragon among waves and a horn kashira, and with a shirasaya declared by the seller. The NBTHK paper, issued in 2018, certifies it as Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken and attributes the signature to the first generation.
Strong points
- Signature of the first Sukehiro of Settsu (Soboro Sukehiro), confirmed as first generation by the paper
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2018)
- Chōji and gunome hamon with abundant ashi visible in the photographs
- Complete koshirae dated by the original seller to the Edo period, with black lacquered saya
- Shirasaya included according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Shortened blade: tang end reworked and two mekugi-ana added through the signature
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade or the date of its last polish
- The shirasaya does not appear in any photograph
Score
110 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
−30
Shortened tang (suriage) −20 · 1 extra mekugi-ana −10
-
Declared condition
−20
The original seller says nothing about the condition −20
-
Signature and date
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+50
Mounting from the same period as the blade +50
-
Blade
+10
71.1 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
- 71.1 cm
- Sori
- 1.6 cm
- Tang
- Shortened tang (suriage)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Period mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Soboro Sukehiro
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Early Edo period (shintō)
- Mekugi-ana
- 3
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,03 cm
- Sakihaba
- 1,95 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,76 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,47 cm
- Blade weight
- 777 g
A new mounting or a polish for your blade? Custom koshirae · Polishing