Pic of Miyamoto Kanenori.包則

[k morita]

Hi,

Very rare photographs of Miyamoto Kanenori(1830-1926) was printed at the publication(printed in 1914) which I bought recently.

The interview report to him also appears in this publication.

He was very long-lived.

 

New discovery! Kanenori had worn glasses (maybe reading glasses).

 

 

Ref for kanenori.

http://www.to-ken.com/articles/Kannori.htm

[Jean]

outstanding, Morita sama

[Brian]

Thank you Morita san, that is fantastic info and pictures.

 

Brian

[k morita]

Thank you for replies. :D

 

Another photograph of Miyamoto Kanenori appears also on page 39 on [ Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths] by Leon Kapp.

Kanenori and his two students are in this photograph.

Two student names are Minamoto no Kaneharu 包治,and Kanenaga 包永.　

[george trotter]

Hi Morita san,

That is interesting. I had swords by both Minamoto Kaneharu and also Kanenaga (both now sold).

The Minamoto Kaneharu was marked to "Zo Fukui Kei" (Presented to Mr Fukui?). It has now been re-polished and is a very nice sword (wish I had kept it!).

Thank you for posting.

Regards,

[k morita]

Hi,George san, Thank you for reply.

 

 

Swords of conspicuous grain pattern(forging pattern) are called "hada-mono" as a general term.肌物

After the middle Meiji period, there were many "hadamono swords" which he(Kanenori) made.

I read the interview report to him and understood why he made "hadamono swords".The purpose is a cold-resistance sword.

 

Also pls check below link.

http://www.nihontocraft.com/Ura_Nihon_no_Toko.html

[Jean]

I have also heard the word "O hada"

[Clive Sinclaire]

Gentlemen

I crave your indulgence for re-activating this old thread but, this week I rather unexpectedly acquired a sword by Kanenori which was made in 1911 when he was 82 years old. When I first saw it, I was immediately impressed by the slender and graceful sugata which looked like, as indeed it is, a tachi sugata. I took it home and was somewhat casually inspecting the slight damage and rusty patches when I was amazed to see the spectacular jihada and immediately understood the terms "Hadatatsu" and "Hadamono". The jihada was simply full of Chikei throughout its entire length in a way I do not recall seeing before and this must be a very important characteristic of Kanenori.

 

Interestingly, the date of "Meiji Yon-ju-yon Nen" was written with the 2nd character "Yon" in the 4 single cut style and seperate from the date was the inscription, which I believe reads "Ozu Nishitabe Kun Komoe" which I also believe means " to the taste of Ozu Nishitane" ? I am unclear as to the significance of this which seems to be quite a familiar way of addressing a customer, if that is what it is. Or maybe it was inscribed as it was being mounted to go to war, but I doubt this. I know of other Kanenori swords have similar inscriptions and I am interested to hear any other suggestions as to what it may signify.

 

For the record, this sword, which will require a polish, is in gunto mounts and the hamon, which is ko-midare-notare in nioi-deki is signed tachi-mei "Teishitsu Gigein Sugawara Kanenori Hachi-ju-ni Sai Saku" and is dated on the other side Meiji Yon-ju-yon Nen Ju-ichi Gatsu Kichi Nichi" as well as that previously mentioned.

 

Although I am rather late in saying so, I am also grateful to Mr Morita for the pictures he posted of Kanenori.

Clive Sinclaire

[Eric H]

His workmanship

 

Katana 69.6 cm

http://www.bushidojapaneseswords.com/kanenoridaito.htm

 

Tanto 17 cm

 

Eric

[David Flynn]

I believe a Katana by Kanenaga, was sold on ebay, just recently by Candelaria 2007. http://www.ebay.com/itm/WW2-GENDAITO-KA ... 7675.l2557

[cabowen]

Kanenori made blades in a wide variety of styles- mino, bizen, soshu, etc. Also, due to his long career, there is a lot of variation from beginning to end. In his later years he used Western steel quite often.

 

Also, there are a lot of fakes of his work, just like those of his contemporary, Gassan Sadakazu. One needs to take care when buying.

[Brian]

Clive,

I have a katana by Enju Kunitoshi that was made around the same time. What struck me immediately is the fact that it is so slender and graceful, whilst still being full length. The nakago is about 70% scale of a regular katana and the mei is exquisitely carved but the kanji are small and the yasurime are perfectly executed. It also has a tachi sugata, and is in Gunto mounts.

I only mention this because it appear to share some traits with yours, and I wonder if this was a popular style around 1910-1920.

It has bright silver lines running through the hada along the entire stretch of blade...so I suspect they were using a lot of foreign steels or additives to the steel.

There weren't many smiths working during that time, so they must have all known each other and shared techniques/materials possibly.

 

Brian

[cabowen]

You see a lot of slender, tachi like blades made in that period. Many were made for the imperial coronation, as well as Sino and Russo Japanese war. I think it is also safe to say that this style was popular as a revival.

[kusunokimasahige]

This is truly great to see. Imagine this man saw the transition of Japan from Shogunate to Empire first hand.

 

Great images !

 

KM

[Ted Tenold]

Excellent picture Morita san, thank you for sharing it with us. I would be very interested in obtaining a copy of publication with the interview.

 

There were two Kanenori katana at the last San Francisco show. One was a subject sword in the nyusatsu kantei. It threw quite a few people to bidding it as a Koto work as it was deeply curved, slender, elegant, and light. It was a very nice example of his Bizen inspired work. The shape threw me off initially also, but the hada and hamon ended up steering me to bid Yokoyama Sukekane, his teacher.

[Clive Sinclaire]

Eric, thanks for posting the excelent pictures from Bob's site but, as I am sure you will agree, the brightness and the full impact of the jihada, can only be fully appreciated by viewing it "hands-on".

 

Chris, I had not considered mixed metal forging, but now you mention it, it is a distinct possibility.

 

Brian, I have seen Enju Kunitoshi in the UK and even drew an oshigata for the owner. The sugata is certainly elegant and graceful but the more compact jihada is unlike this Kanenori.

 

Finally, I would say that the jihada on this Kanenori has a passing resemblence to the Matsukawa-hada of Norishige - what do you think of that? Also are there any comments of the Azu Nishitane Kun Komoe inscription that I mentioned earlier?

 

Regards

Clive Sinclaire

[cabowen]

Yes, he was said to have used western steel in his later years and the hadatatsu style is common in his late works.

 

The use of "kun" is seen sometimes. I have a WWII blades made by Akimoto Akitomo inscribed with this. I always assumed it was made for a young and close acquaintance. Given Kanenori's age at the time the blade was made, I would think he could have probably called anyone he wanted "kun"....

 

Please post some photos if possible.

[almeister]

Hi Morita San & Clive ,

I also have a Kanenori , with regards to the mysteries as to whom the blades are made for - I'm in the same boat . Mine is dated 1921 & made for Iino Kichisaburo , I can find close to no information on him - other than when Morita San "Kindly" translated mei for me - it appears he may have been a preist . I also noticed that in Slough's Modern Japanese Swordsmiths - page 60 the blade is also made for Iino Kichisaburo ? - made 1908 . My blade also has a 9 circle Mon on the ura side nakago , I've been told "Ku Yo Sei Mon" shintoism/shrine ? I've been told Kanenori worked under 4 emporers ? Did he actually reside at the Imperial Court at some stage ? Morita San speaks of a book "The 60 swords of Miyamoto Kanenori " Is there any books available on him in English translation as I'd like to research this Smith more ?

Thanks for any Help !

AlanK

[Eric H]

Finally, I would say that the jihada on this Kanenori has a passing resemblence to the Matsukawa-hada of Norishige - what do you think of that?

 

I think this is in accordance with his workmanship in his later days. The Tanto, 17 cm, displaying hadamono was made when his was 80 years old, in 1909.

 

Explanation of hada-mono and yakumo-gitae.

 

Eric

[george trotter]

Eric san,

can I ask you to quote this source please...?

 

Also...as the source says this hada is noted for Masamune, Norishige, Soshu work, is it classed as a kantei point for them? and is it a kantei point for Kanenori's later work?

Regards,

[John A Stuart]

Hi George, The article says hadamono is seen in fake Masamune, Norishige and Soshu work. It is then a point away from these smiths. John

[george trotter]

Hi John,

I read that sentence as a comment that these smiths' work is containing this type hada...In a similar discussion on hada-ware recently Matsukawa hada was noted as a kantei point for Norishige. The point was mentioned because the same, but coarser, hada was often seen in Hankei's work but was not considered a kantei point.

I provided a reference that Norishige is known for it, so much so that it is a kantei point for him, so I was going to ask, is it a kantei point for later work by Kanenori also?

Regards,

[cabowen]

The article says, if I understand it correctly, that the rather crude "yakumo" gitae is seen in forgeries of Masamune, Norishige, etc. and thus is not a kantei point for the real items.

 

Kanenori, as I mentioned, made a wide variety of work and thus while the rather zanguri hada seen in many of his later work is certainly characteristic, it would be difficult to say that it is a kantei point for his work in general.

[Eric H]

George,

The "explanation" is from the Token Bijutsu (TB) Summer 1983 (Kanzan Kiyoshitsu). The magnified pic is not from the Kanenori Tanto, it‘s an example that shows ostentatiously outstanding hada containing glittering elements and is crude in appearance. Matsukawa hada is a kantei point.

 

Eric

[george trotter]

Thank you for the source and comment on matsukawa Eric and Chris, I think I see...

yakumo hada is seen in forgeries of Masamune, Soshu and Norishige. Their real hada is matsukawa....therefore matsukawa hada is a kantei point for them but yakumo hada is not.

Regards,

[Jean]

No George,

 

Matsukawa is reserved to Norishige and is a kantei point to this smith. Yakumo hada is an outstanding/violent hada which has some similarities with Soshu smiths and in its more extreme form to Norishige. Norishige is a peculiar form of Soshu hada.

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

What about this one ?

 

[george trotter]

Hmmm...I think I'd better learn from this thread a bit longer before I comment again.

Meantime, maybe someone could list just what are the kantei points for Norishige and (as a comparison), Hankei and/or Kanenori's work?

Regards,

[runagmc]

George, here is some info on Norishige's work... http://sho-shin.com/hoku12.htm

[Brian]

 

Brian