Katana or tachi

[nihon]

https://www.aoijapan.com/katana：mumei-attributed-to-ko-naminohira-41st-nbthk-juyo-token/

A nice ko-naminohira tachi (albeit a bit tired) from the kamakura. Starting to understand why jussi like this school. Though why does the nbthk classify it as a katana even though its only a suriage and still has the shape of a tachi

 

Jed.

Edited November 22 by nihon

[klee]

Absolutely perfect. Love Satsuma blades and Naminohira is definitely near the top of my bucket list of swords Id like to have in my collection next.

 

I personally have only seen the NBTHK designate a blade as Tachi when it s ubu and/or has a tachi mei

[eternal_newbie]

24 minutes ago, klee said:

I personally have only seen the NBTHK designate a blade as Tachi when it s ubu and/or has a tachi mei

Yep, context is key - either it's signed tachi-mei, or it's ubu and from a period in time when blades of that shape and size would have been used as a tachi (i.e. worn edge down and likely used from horseback). Basically if the most recent usage it saw was likely as a katana (due to being shortened by a more recent owner, being too short to begin with, or being from the middle Muromachi period onwards) then it'll be classified as one.

 

Exceptions exist, naturally, but there's usually extenuating circumstances such as well-known documentation or oral tradition about the blade's usage, or a particularly famous accompanying tachi koshirae.

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think for this sword NBTHK and Aoi Art have a differing viewpoint, pretty much the polar opposite views. NBTHK specifies in the paper that sword is ō-suriage and Aoi states that they see the sword as almost ubu. Unfortunately I cannot say which one is correct, and I could see both as plausible opinions by just seeing few pictures. Unfortunately I just have seen this in Jūyō book and now at Aoi website so I don't have it in any other sources.

 

NBTHK can also judge suriage mumei blades as tachi but for that to happen I would assume a certain amount of original nakago must be present for that to happen.