Worth Taking A Quick Peek - Etchu Norishige

[Nickupero]

Hi Friends, I've been fortunate to handle a beautiful piece of history even thought it was for a very very short time, it was a tease more than anything. A client of mine was on the hunt for this big name and so with a bit of luck and timing on our side I was able to satisfy his appetite. Norishige who was one of the big Juttetsu and having played such a big role in Soshu-den History I felt that it was unfair for this piece like this to disappear into the dark corner of a private collector and possibly remain unseen for the next couple of decades. A piece like this deserves to be looked at and appreciated, especially for those of us who will never own or touch such an item. And so with the permission of the owner I would like to offer some pictures and leave an open discussion for those who would like to study and comment on this piece, share some knowledge preferably in a constructive way where others can benefit. Attaching other pictures for form of comparison/ study are permitted so I leave this in your hands from this point on. I won't be participating in this discussion as my workload is backlogged. I ask members to keep in mind that the owner may have a peek at this so please don't be too harsh if you have something negative to say. I will ask this thread to be deleted in the future out of respect for the owners wishes so you are welcome to save everything.

The nagasa is just over 73cm with a Kinpun Mei most likely done during Edo period. It does have recent Juyo papers for those who are doubtful of its authenticity. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who took a peek!

[hxv]

Nick,

 

All I can say is WOW!

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Brian]

I can't see how anyone could have anything negative to say about this piece. Wow. What a stunning blade.

Look at that hada! You can see why he was famous for it.
A stunning, healthy and very old piece with a long nagasa and confirmed kinpun mei? What's not to love? The owner should be very proud.

[Jean]

Splendid and good pictures

[SAS]

That is quite an active hada, maybe that is who the Chinese are trying to copy!  Great sword!

[Greg F]

A lot to see, Georgeous blade. Thanks for sharing Nick. Cheers.

 

Greg

[Wayben]

Wow, beautiful blade and great photography to show it off.

[Ray Singer]

Outstanding, thanks for sharing Nick! Do you happen to have the oshigata to share from the Juyo Token Nado Zufu?

 

Best regards,

Ray

[Fuuten]

Piling on, fantastic piece. I saved the pics

 

Is the hada what you'd refer to as asayugi hada? It looks wild.

[Brian]

Matsukawa hada...a Norishige trademark.

 

http://www.nihonto.ca/norishige-4/

[Shogun8]

Kudos to you and your client for sharing these for the benefit of the members.

[Stephen]

Once had a Emura that had that same oily swirling hataraki hada ...another biggest regret in life.

[SwordGuyJoe]

Stephen - Did it go away when you wiped the blade?

 

Gorgeous sword Nick!

[Stephen]

if it wasnt buried on a floppydisk some where youd be eating those words

[SwordGuyJoe]

Too bad Sir! I'm starving

[Darcy]

[Darcy]

The style in the daito above is heavily influenced by Ko-Hoki. It's later work of Norishige, towards the end, it's restrained and country flavor, it's broad with the matsukawa hada fully implemented. It's what is carried on by Uda just not as well and in Tametsugu and almost as good. Some ways of looking at Uda are saying a sword done like this but without the class and skill is going to go to Uda. Halfway between, so a lot more skilled than Uda, to Tametsugu.

 

Be wary of kinzogan and kinpun and be sure that you read all the NBTHK comments on these, especially as the level of the blade goes up. This setsumei should be translated and read. I think when there is no Honami signature it's not so dangerous but when there is the NBTHK may defer on the front page to what it says on the nakago and then in the setsumei explain their point of view. The fine print is what counts. 

 

Hamon with the uchinoke looks old and because it's restrained I feel like this comes right at the end where he has gone through all of the cycles of flamboyance and has settled on something dignified and natural. Sometimes with this style he will light up the ji with a lot of bright yubashiri that track the jihada and make it glow. In the oshigata you an see a little hint of this developing so it may be a bit on other parts of the sword.

 

His early work is more influenced by his teacher Shintogo and then Ko-Bizen. This below is one of two examples surviving with his full signature. The other is actually cut off before the "saku" so this is the only one really as far as I can determine and based on what the NBTHK wrote in the Token Bijutsu, that there were two "Saeki Norishige" signed blades. The signature seems to have been made as an echo of "Shintogo Kunimitsu". 

 

It's dated and there are three dated works, the other two of which are suriage (one is the other Saeki signed one). This tanto is referred to in the setsumei for the daito above as being surviving dated work from Gen-o era and these three tanto made in Shintogo style with appropriate dating (shape and nie and influence in the kitae) are what lead Dr. Honma to conclude that he is a student of Shintogo Kunimitsu and a senior pupil to Masamune.

 

This one is in the Kozan Oshigata so was recorded a long time ago. This book has many fascinating things like signatures of Sadamune (real or fake? Can't tell now) as well as some that help us understand some things like "Kamakura Rai" (there were old signatures saying Kamakura Junin Rai Kunitsugu). Because some of those in this book are still with us and are legit, I can't dismiss the old ones that are now missing out of hand. One very interesting signature is "Etchu Gofuku ju Saeki Noriyoshi". I don't know of this Noriyoshi anywhere else but the Nori is done in the same style as Norishige. 

 

You can see the matsukawa hada is just an idea forming in this tanto and it's fully formed in the daito above, which shows then the beginning of the story to the end of the story. 

 

 

 

[CSM101]

Dear Nick,

 

my friends from CSI Wladiwostok wanted to see the sword as a whole. Unfortunately one part is missing. Can you make a photo from this part?

 

Thank you!

 

Uwe G.

[Darcy]

Dear Nick,

 

my friends from CSI Wladiwostok wanted to see the sword as a whole. Unfortunately one part is missing. Can you make a photo from this part?

 

Thank you!

 

Uwe G.

 

 

Uwe, it's normal. How else can you fit a sword into a suitcase? 

[CSM101]

Sorry!  I forgot about that. My fault.

 

Again what learned.

 

 

Uwe G.

[Markus]

His early work is more influenced by his teacher Shintogo and then Ko-Bizen. This below is one of two examples surviving with his full signature. The other is actually cut off before the "saku" so this is the only one really as far as I can determine and based on what the NBTHK wrote in the Token Bijutsu, that there were two "Saeki Norishige" signed blades. The signature seems to have been made as an echo of "Shintogo Kunimitsu".

 

This is one thing I want to study in more depth in the future, i.e. the family histories of the earlier renowned smiths. The Saeki for example were so to speak old-established Etchû gentry, or to be precise, the local Saeki branch once held the office of Etchû kokushi (国司, provincial governor). And by the way, the famous monk Kûkai was from the Saeki family too.

 

 

[Ed]

Gorgeous Blades.  

[dig1982]

Wow! Fantastic hada!

[Jamie]

Thank you both for sharing these beautiful pieces.

[nihonto1001]

At the Tampa Sword Show, I was able to study one by the same smith, thanks to the benevolence of one of our members.  It was the highlight of the show for me.  Nice sword Nick.