Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Shinshintō katana signed by Bizen no Suke Fujiwara Munetsugu and dated 1864, with horimono, ubu tang, NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper, shirasaya with sayagaki and koshirae.
Katana signed on the tang 備前介藤原宗次 (Bizen no Suke Fujiwara Munetsugu) and dated on the ura 元治元年十一月日 (Genji gannen jūichigatsu hi), the 11th month of 1864, in the heart of the shinshintō period. According to the original seller, Munetsugu ranks among the great masters of the period alongside Masahide, Naotane and Kiyomaro, with whom he lived in Yotsuya (Edo) and competed in the craft; the listing gives Ōshū Shirakawa as his place of origin. The blade measures 72.3 cm according to the paper, with 1.5 cm of sori, a motohaba of 3.05 cm and a sakihaba of 2.2 cm, and carries engravings (彫入, horiire) that the photographs show on both faces. The photographs also show an undulating hamon and a two-piece gilt habaki. The tang is ubu, with a single mekugi-ana. The blade comes with an NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper issued in 2015, a shirasaya with an ink sayagaki, and a koshirae with a lobed iron tsuba, a tsuka wrapped in black over same and a saya lacquered in reddish brown; the original seller neither describes nor dates the mounting.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 11th month of Genji 1 (1864)
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken paper (2015)
- Ubu tang with a single mekugi-ana
- Horimono on both faces of the blade
- Supplied with a shirasaya with sayagaki and a koshirae
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller says nothing about the condition of the blade.
- The mounting is documented only in the photographs: the seller neither describes nor dates it.
- The seller gives a length of 71.9 cm; the paper reads 二尺三寸八分半 (ni-shaku san-sun hachi-bu han), about 72.3 cm.
Score
98.3 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
0
Mounting the original seller says nothing about 0
-
Blade
+10
72.3 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+3.3
Price: the more affordable, the more points +3.3
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
- 72.3 cm
- Sori
- 1.5 cm
- Tang
- Intact (ubu)
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting documented only in the photographs
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 11th month of Genji 1 (1864)
- Province
- Bizen
- Mekugi-ana
- 1
- Condition
- Condition not declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
- Motohaba
- 3,05 cm
- Sakihaba
- 2,2 cm
- Motokasane
- 0,7 cm
- Sakikasane
- 0,55 cm
- Shinogi-kasane
- 0,75 cm
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