Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Kiyondo, pupil of Minamoto Kiyomaro, dated 1864, with an ubu tang and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper; published in the Kiyomaro Taikan.
Kiyondo, who later received the title Buzen no Kami, was a pupil of Minamoto Kiyomaro in Edo and, according to the original seller, inherited his master's midare style. The blade is shinogi-zukuri with an iori-mune, wide, deeply curved and with an ōkissaki; the photographs show a koshi-hi carved on both sides. According to the original seller, the hamon is a gunome midare with long ashi, thick nie, kinsuji and sunagashi, over a ko-itame jigane with abundant jinie. The tang is ubu, with a kurijiri tip, sujikai yasurime and a single mekugi-ana, as the photographs confirm. It is signed 清人於江都造之 (Kiyondo Kōto ni oite kore o tsukuru) and dated 元治元年二月日 (Genji gannen nigatsu hi). The NBTHK certified it Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken in December 2025, and the piece is published with its oshigata in the book Kiyomaro Taikan. According to the original seller, it is kept in shirasaya with a sayagaki by Tanobe Tanzan and a one-piece gold-foiled habaki. It has no mounting.
Strong points
- Dated work by a direct pupil of Minamoto Kiyomaro
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, photographed
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana, full signature and date
- Published with oshigata in the Kiyomaro Taikan
- Sayagaki by Tanobe Tanzan, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- No mounting: offered in shirasaya only
- The shirasaya and sayagaki are stated in the listing but do not appear in the photographs
- The original seller does not state the condition of the blade
Score
81 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
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
−15
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+10
72 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+1
Price: the more affordable, the more points +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
- 72 cm
- Sori
- 0.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Saitō Kiyondo
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Genji 1 (1864)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,25 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,5 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,65 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,6 cm