Tamba no kami Yoshimichi, 1700.

[Jewels029]

Dear Sir,

 

I own a sword, by Yoshimitsu. Tambo no kami Yoshimichi, 1700. 

I am in upstate, New York,  United States, I'm interested in getting a certification for a sword.  The signature was authenticated.   If you could kindly please advise on the process.

 

I am also interested in selling it.

 

Any help you might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

Sincerely

Jewels

 

[Geraint]

Dear Jewells.

 

Wow!  All those photographs and no response.  Well if nothing else maybe this will stimulate some discussion for you.  This is a nice find.

Tamba no kami Yoshimichi is a well known name and the signature looks good at first glance.  You mentioned it had been authenticated but you don't say by whom and for all intents and purposes unless the authentication is done by either the NBTHK or the NTHK it would be considered an informed guess.  I am sure that you know that, as with any art form, false signatures are rife and only a proper Japanese shinsa will be believed.  Hence I imagine, your desire to get such a certificate.  From time to time there are shinsa organised in the US but given the current situation I don't suppose anyone has information about one in the near future.  There are options to ship the sword to Japan to have it papered which others in the US will advise you about.

 

The length from the notches on the tang to the tip is important, from your photographs the overall length appears to be around 27" and the tang around 6" so the crucial length would be 21".  Is that about right?  If so then your sword is classed as a wakizashi rather than a katana.  This has a considerable impact on value.  The habaki or blade collar is missing a piece, it should have another part that fits around the part you have at the base.  The sword seems to be in fairly good condition but it is not in what would be called polish.  Vital that you don't attempt anything yourself as it is easy to completely ruin a sword that way.

 

It is probably not an economic proposition to get all this work done from your point of view unless you want to keep the sword and treasure it.  If you want to sell it then probably best to do so now and let someone else invest in it because they love it.

 

Hope some of this helps and of course it is only one opinion.  Others will give you a better idea of the value in the US market as it is.

 

All the best. 

 

 

[Brian]

Geraint covered it pretty well.
Btw, it is Tanba (or Tamba) no kami....

[Jean]

Corrected🙂

[Jacques]

Nidai Yamashiro Tanba no kami Yoshimichi,  very likely shoshin, it's a work from the Shoho era 🙂

[Frank Reile]

Dear Jewells,

 

I am just south of Utica NY, I am no expert like many here, but have been collecting for a while. If you would like, I could meet up with you somewhere and take a look at it. 

 

Frank R.

[Ed]

Wow, I just drove through there a few weeks ago from Niagara Falls on my way to VT.