Interpreting Norishige mei era

[Lewis B]

If you haven't noticed I have a massive soft spot for Norishige. My goal is to eventually own one of his blades so in the meantime I'm doing as much study as possible. Part of that is studying the development of the smith through what was a long career. His style changed depending on the influences, location and stylistic preferences predominating at the time. Ko Hoki influences, a phase where his style was similar to his contemporary Masamune and early influences of Shintogo Kunimitsu, with whom he probably had a teacher/student relationship. His Mei changed too throughout the late Kamakura and Nanbokucho eras when Norishige was active. I'm trying to place the style of the Mei on the right. To my uneducated eye it looks most like the large Mei from early years on the far left with one caveat, the oblique chisel mark on the upper kanji, at the end of the righthand vertical element. The crescent mark at the top of the shige kanji, as well as the large horizontal lines seem to be the most indicative. 

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

That is very interesting research you are doing. Here are the 5 dated Norishige pieces that I have in my references so far.

 

 

1314: NBTHK - Jūyō 31, Tokubetsu Jūyō 9

1319: NBTHK - Jūyō 33, Tokubetsu Jūyō 24

1320: NBTHK - Jūyō 31

1325: Naginata of Ōyamazumi-jinja

1326-28: NBTHK - Jūyō 68 (This was featured in the huge Masamune and his disciples exhibition this spring)

[Bugyotsuji]

Don't forget those are hand-written approximations, not done performed with a cold chisel.

(BTW, some of those captions Lewis are in the wrong order, it seems. "Early years in Etchu" should be second from left, for example.)

[Lewis B]

3 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Don't forget those are hand-written approximations, not done performed with a cold chisel.

(BTW, some of those captions Lewis are in the wrong order, it seems. "Early years in Etchu" should be second from left, for example.)

The figure was lifted from the Token Kantei Hikketsu. But I agree, Norishige was born in Etchu but it's unclear if he started swordmaking there. It seems clear he trained under Shintogo Kunimitsu in Kamakura then encountered and possibly learned from/with Yukimitsu, Go Yoshihiro and Masamune at various phases in his career. After his apprenticeship there, he moved back to Etchu and established a forge. 

 

Closer inspection of the Mei in Jussi's informative post, I would put the signature at the Gen'o period 1320 (Kunimitsu died 1319), when Norishige was around 30 years old and supposedly working with/under Go Yoshihiro, who also originated from Etchu and establishes a connection. These various influences could explain the changes in his signature and forging stylistically. The strokes of the kanji seem to be the closest to this era.