Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Takenaka Kunihiko of Musashi, circa the Kōka era (1844–1848), with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, ubu tang, complete koshirae and shirasaya.
Blade by Takenaka Kunihiko, a smith of Musashi province in the shinshintō period. The NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper, issued in 2021, records it as signed 竹中邦彦作 (Takenaka Kunihiko saku) and places it around the Kōka era (1844–1848). According to the original seller, Kunihiko was a contemporary of Kiyomaro and his blades are scarce even among bakumatsu works. The photographs show a shinogi-zukuri blade with bo-hi and soe-bi on both faces, ending in rounded terminations just above the machi. The tang is ubu with a single mekugi-ana, as the seller states and the photographs confirm. The seller gives a length of 66.5 cm, a sori of 1.9 cm, a motohaba of 3.05 cm and a motokasane of 0.7 cm. The blade comes with its shirasaya and a complete koshirae: saya lacquered in red and black, tsuka with light ito over same, gilt menuki, fuchi-kashira, and a pierced iron tsuba with a dragon, signed 越前住記内 (Echizen-jū Kinai). The original seller describes the fittings as good and the mekugi as ivory, but does not date the mounting.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2021)
- Ubu, signed tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Complete koshirae with an iron tsuba signed 越前住記内 (Echizen-jū Kinai)
- Also comes with a shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The mounting is undated and has no papers of its own; the tsuba signature is not certified.
- The listing does not state the condition of the blade or the date of its last polish.
Score
114.2 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
+15
Signed, with no engraved date +15
-
Mounting
+15
Mounting described, undated +5 · signed fittings: 1 +10
-
Blade
0
66.5 cm: outside the usable range 0
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+24.2
Price: the more affordable, the more points +24.2
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
- 66.5 cm
- Sori
- 1.9 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Takenaka Kunihiko
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Kōka era (1844–1848)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,2 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,51 cm
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