Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
A large 85.1 cm katana signed 平安城住藤原信吉 (Heianjō-jū Fujiwara Nobuyoshi), with an ubu tang, in shirasaya with sayagaki and NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers.
A katana signed 平安城住藤原信吉 (Heianjō-jū Fujiwara Nobuyoshi), the work of a Kyoto smith of the Shintō period whom the original seller places in the Shōhō era (1644). It is a large blade: 85.1 cm nagasa, 0.8 cm sori, 3.33 cm motohaba and 2.2 cm sakihaba, with a kasane of 0.7 cm at the base and 0.5 cm at the point, according to the original seller's listing. The photographs show an undulating, notare-based hamon running the full length of the blade. The tang is ubu with a single mekugi-ana, as the original seller states and the photographs confirm, and bears the signature on the omote. The blade is kept in shirasaya, with a sayagaki the original seller attributes to 探山 (Tanzan) and a gold-foiled solid silver habaki. It comes with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers dated 13 May Heisei 26 (2014), recording the signature and a length of 二尺八寸一分弱 (ni-shaku hassun ichibu jaku). It is offered without a mounting.
Strong points
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken papers (2014)
- Long, broad blade: 85.1 cm nagasa and 3.33 cm motohaba
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana and full signature
- Shirasaya with sayagaki attributed to 探山 (Tanzan)
- Gold-foiled solid silver habaki, according to the original seller
Points to bear in mind
- Offered in shirasaya only, without koshirae.
- The original seller's listing says nothing about the blade's condition.
- Very shallow curvature: 0.8 cm sori on an 85.1 cm blade.
Score
93 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
No mounting −15
-
Blade
+15
85.1 cm: long blade, 74 cm or more +15
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Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+18
Price: the more affordable, the more points +18
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
- 85.1 cm
- Sori
- 0.8 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- No mounting
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shintō (1596-1780)
- Dating
- Shōhō era (1644–1648)
- Province
- Yamashiro
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- No
- Motohaba
- 3,33 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,2 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,5 cm