Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana by Muneari, forged at Aoyama (Edo) in the autumn of Keiō 1 (1865), with ubu tang, signature and date, in shirasaya and with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers.
Katana by Muneari, a smith from Hachinohe who worked at Aoyama in Edo. According to the original seller, high-ranking samurai of the Hachinohe domain commissioned blades from him during their sankin-kōtai stays in Edo. The tang is signed 於青山宗有 (oite Aoyama Muneari) and dated 慶応元年秋 (Keiō gannen aki), autumn 1865, in the heart of the shinshintō period. The original seller describes the tang as ubu with a single mekugi-ana, and the photographs confirm it: continuous shape and tip, one hole only. Stated measurements: nagasa 71.2 cm, sori 0.8 cm, motohaba 3.38 cm, sakihaba 2.5 cm, motokasane 0.66 cm and sakikasane 0.58 cm, a broad blade with restrained curvature. The photographs show a gentle notare hamon along the whole blade and a generous kissaki. It has a one-piece solid gold habaki, according to the original seller. The blade is offered in shirasaya, without koshirae. It holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (no. 154250, 2009), which record the signature, date and length, and according to the original seller it is published in volume 10 of the Tōken Oshigata-chō.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: autumn of Keiō 1 (1865)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Solid gold habaki, according to the original seller
- Published in the Tōken Oshigata-chō, vol. 10, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae
- The listing says nothing about the condition or polish of the blade
Score
101 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
71.2 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+21
Price: the more affordable, the more points +21
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
- 71.2 cm
- Sori
- 0.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Muneari
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- Autumn of Keiō 1 (1865)
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,38 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,5 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,66 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,58 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,75 cm