Photographs
Photographs by the seller at origin.
The piece
Katana signed and dated in the 2nd month of Genji 2 (1865) by Hosokawa Masamori, with NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers, koshirae and shirasaya.
Katana by Hosokawa Masamori, a smith of the Hosokawa school working in Edo during the bakumatsu. According to the original seller, he was the son of Hosokawa Masayoshi, a pupil of Suishinshi Masahide, trained under Taikei Naotane and mastered the Bizen style. The tang, unshortened as far as the photographs show, keeps its sujikai file marks and two mekugi-ana; the omote bears the signature 作陽幕下士細川正守造 (Sakuyō bakkashi Hosokawa Masamori tsukuru) with a kokuin (刻印) stamp, and the ura the date 元治二年二月日 (Genji ninen nigatsu hi), that is, February 1865. The original seller reads the formula Sakuyō bakkashi as a mark of his samurai status. The blade has a nagasa of 69.2 cm and a sori of 1.4 cm, and the photographs show a bo-hi and an undulating hamon. It comes with a koshirae featuring an openwork iron tsuba with a namako motif, fuchi-kashira decorated with fuji-karakusa, relief menuki with gold and silver accents, a tsuka wrapped over same and a black-lacquered saya, together with a shirasaya. The blade holds NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers issued in 2010.
Strong points
- Signed and dated: 元治二年二月日 (Genji ninen nigatsu hi), 1865
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon papers
- Unshortened tang according to the photographs, with full signature and kokuin stamp
- Koshirae with openwork iron tsuba and black-lacquered saya, plus shirasaya
Points to bear in mind
- The original seller notes kitae-kizu and a chip on the blade, without specifying their extent.
- The saya shows some age-related damage, according to the original seller.
- The mounting is undated: the listing describes its parts without dating them.
Score
110.8 pointscurrent max. 255
-
Certificate
+50
NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon paper +50
-
Tang
+20
Tang intact according to the photographs, with 2 mekugi-ana +20
-
Declared condition
−25
The original seller declares flaws 0 · small kitae-ware, away from the edge −5 · ha-kobore (chip in the edge) −20
-
Signature and date
+25
Signed and with an engraved date +25
-
Mounting
+5
Mounting described, undated +5
-
Blade
+10
69.2 cm: within the usable range +10
-
Shirasaya
+5
With a storage shirasaya +5
-
Price
+20.8
Price: the more affordable, the more points +20.8
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
- 69.2 cm
- Sori
- 1.4 cm
- Tang
- Intact according to the photographs
- Certificate
- NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon
- Mounting
- Mounting described piece by piece by the seller at origin
- Storage shirasaya
- Yes
- Smith
- Hosokawa Masamori
- Period
- Shinshintō (1781-1876)
- Dating
- 2nd month of Genji 2 (1865)
- Province
- Musashi
- Mekugi-ana
- 2
- Condition
- Localised flaw declared
- Signed
- Yes
- With an engraved date
- Yes
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