Merry Christmas 2015

Keris Madura

Hulu Keris Tumenggungan merupakan pengembargan Dari ornamen kembang temu

Great restoration 

19th Century mini Nihonto

Small Nihoto from the 19th century, 5.8 inch cutting edge in fine polish with the signature above the ridge line, very nice blade in beautifuly crafted aikuchi koshirae

 

koshirae has a samurai poem on it, under the poem is the name of the man who wrote the poem, called Koutoku. The blade has the signature of Kiku Ichimonji, living and working at the end of 19th century.

there is a nice link(http://www.kikuichimonji.co.jp/h.html) here about him, at the end of samurai era and carrying swords and he made commercial items, cooking knives and tools, but as you can see he made nice tanto also, so this is a rare example with a nice history and well documented.

The japanese man who translated it found it difficult as old type of writing style and poem, but it is something like : life is like a cherry tree, it blooms beautifuly and falls when it end. Also see http://www.kikuichimonji.com/

 

KIKUICHIMONJI

In the year 1208 the Emperor Gotoba gave permission to his swordsmith Norimune to stamp the blade of each sword with the imperial Chrysanthemum-crest. Norimune then engraved the number 1 below the crest. Thus the name Kikuichi-monji, Chrysanthemum One, was created.

In 1876, when samurai were banned from carrying swords, Kikuichi-monji added a horse’s bit mouthpiece(kutuwa) ” “ logo above its name and started manufacturing cooking knives, carpentry tools, gardening knives, and other related products in Kyoto. Using the superb sword-making technique passed down through generations, Kikuichi-monji pledges to produce high-quality cutlery.

Fujishima Tomoshige

Smith is Fujishima Tomoshige. The founder of the Fujishima school was Tomoshige, a pupil of Rai Kunitoshi. His work dates to 1334-1338. Smith is Fujishima Tomoshige-mono or majiwari-mono. The characteristics of the swords of the Fujishima school tend to combine the traits of two or three of the Gokaden (five main schools). Certain of the Fujishima smiths, and the later Sanekage school smiths, worked in one or more of the basic traditions and incorporated several of the characteristics of these schools into their work.

Gokaden

The 

Gokaden ***Five basic style of Japanese Sword***

From ancient times, five areas where produced numbers of great swordsmiths were equally blessed with several good conditions, such as in political aspect, in business and rich in raw materials for making sword. No wonder many smiths flew in these core part continuously from all over the country and brought about a great advance in research and development. Each producing district established their own style and initiated their technique into posterity and also influenced local smiths a great deal. These are the five main districts where they showed distinctive competency above all. "Soushu-den", "Bizen-den", "Mino-den", "Yamashiro-den", and "Yamato-den". These were named generically "Gokaden" in Edo period and judge of swords are basically relied on each of these style.

	Soushu-den started in late Kamakura period under the effect of Kamakura Shogunate and completed by smith in Nambokucho period as Akihiro and Hiromitsu and so on. Generally nie, chikei, kinsuji, inazuma are typically seen inside the blade.
Prominent swordsmiths : Hiromitsu / Akihiro / Hasebe Kuninobu / Masakage / Tametsugu / Samonji / Rai Kunimitsu / Taima / Naoe Shizu / Kanemitsu / Nagayoshi / Hiromasa / Masahiro / Yoshihiro / Shimada / Nobukuni / late Hasebe
	The most numerous swordsmiths existed in Bizen. Number of schools flourished for centuries that it is hard to explain collecively. So it can classify into several ways as ko-Bizen, ko-Osafune, Ouei Bizen, Sue Bizen. "Koshi-zori" is conspicuous as it gets older. "Jigane" is pliable and "utsuri" appears like shadow between "shinogi" and "hazakai". These are remarkable features of Bizen. "Hamon" is mainly "chouji-midare" but it has transformed to "gunome-midare" as time go by, also "nie-deki" changes to "konie" then "nioi-deki".
Prominent swordsmith : <Ko-Bizen>Tomonari / Masatsune / Sukehira / Kanehira / Yoshikane / Norimune / Sukemune / ko-Ichimonji / ko-Aoe <ko-Osafune>Mitsutada / Nagamitsu / kagemitsu / Mori'ie / Sanemori / Masanaga / Chikakage / Katayama Ichimonji / chu-Aoe <others>Kanemitsu / Motoshige / Nagayoshi / Morikage / Morimitsu / Yasumitsu / Norimitsu / Moromitsu / Tsuneie / Iesuke / Sukesada / Kiyomitsu / Katsumitsu / Norimitsu
	The forging pattern on hiraji is mainly itame and mixed with "masame" and "mokume", "shinogi" is "masame". This forging style is a technique to make blade solid and extremly sharp.  Inside the blade, unique "hataraki" called "seki-utsuri" is appeared faintly white with "jinie". Tempering pattern is formed by "nioi" basic "nie" entangled. After the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, so many swordsmiths spread all over the country from Mino ,because of its functionality, that Mino-den became standard way of making swords in Edo period.
Prominent swordsmiths : Kaneuji / Naoe Shizu / Jumyou / Yoshisada / Akasaka Senjuin / Kanemoto / Kaneusa / Ujifusa / Kanetsune / Kanesada / Daidou / Muramasa / Sanjou Yoshinori / Fujishima / Unshu Yoshii / Naotsuna / Takada / Doutanuki / Heianjou Nagayoshi
	The tradition of Yamashiro swordsmiths have started from Sanjou Munechika in late Heian period. Typical figure of those times is narrow bladed Tachi which line is beautifully curved with small kissaki. Well forged "jigane" is mostly "koitame" and "komokume" but some are "nashijihada", and the uniformed "nie" appears finely. Fundamental "hamon" are "suguha" and "komidare", tanto of "suguha" is the most strong point of Yamashiro's.
Prominent swordsmiths : Sanjou Munechika, yoshi'ie / Gojou Kanenaga, Kuninaga / Awataguchi / Ayanokouji Sadatoshi / Rai Kuniyuki, Kunitoshi, Kunimitsu, Kunitsugu / Ryoukai / Nobukuni / Heianjou Nagayoshi / Shintougo Kunimitsu / Yukimitsu / Chiyozuru Kuniyasu / Inshu Kagenaga / Bungo Sadahide / Yukihira / Bungo Ryoukai / Enju
	Yamato-den derived from five big schools. They are Senjuin, Tegai, Taima, Houshou and Shikkake. The source of their names are all from temples that swordsmiths belonged exclusively to each temple. Common style of these schools are Tachi with high "shinogi" and wide "shinogiji". Tempering pattern are "masame" and "itame" incline to "masa". Hamon is "suguha" with strong "nie", mixed with several "hataraki" as "hotsure" which looks like loose thread and many "sunagashi" inside hachu. "Yakihaba" becomes broad as it gets to "kissaki" and "yakizume" at the top.
Prominent swordsmiths : Senjuin / Taima / Tegai / Houshou / Shikkake / Ryumon / Kinbou / Yamato Shizu Kaneuji

Source: 

http://world.choshuya.co.jp/gokaden/

Japanese Nihonto evolution

Japanese katana production can be divided into specific time periods:

1. Jōkotō (ancient swords, until around 900 A.D.)

2. Kotō (old swords from around 900–1596)

3. Shintō (new swords 1596–1780)

4. Shinshintō (newer swords 1781–1876)

5. Gendaitō (modern swords 1876–1945)

6. Shinsakutō (newly made swords 1953–present)

Naoe Shizu Kanegana Nihonto

This is Naoe Shizu Kanenaga's sword, a very rare item in the world. Naoe Shizu school is very famous school. However many books make an article, but there are not many sword of Naoe Shizu school. 

This Kanenaga have NBTHK Tokubetsu Hzon certificate paper. This kanenaga is not normaly Mino school and It's special order sword.

Cutting edge : 70.5cm

Sori: 1.8cm

Jigane: Strong Itami-Hada and Masame-hada

Hamon: Suguha and Ko-gunome with Ko-Nie

Boshi: Sugu-Komaru nijyuha gokoro

Signature: Kanenaga 

Koshirae: Shirasaya

This rare katana by Naoe Shizu Kanenaga and has a length of 70.5cm and a lovely curvature. It dates back 650 years to a significant time in Japanese history called the Nambokrcho period – also known as the Northern and Southern Courts period. During this era, there existed a Northern Imperial Court in Kyoto, and a Southern Imperial Court in Nara. Ideologically, the two courts fought bitterly for fifty years, with the South giving up to the North in 1392.

Japanese naval Dirk