NihontoWatchSummary This blade was signed by Choshu Ju Fujiwara Kiyoshige (長州住藤原清重). Choshu is another name for Nagato province (today’s Yamaguchi prefecture), and Choshu Ju means he resided in this area when he forged this blade. The maker’s name, Kiyoshige, lasted generations in Choshu from the early-late Edo period (the late 17th-mid 19th century). According to NBTHK’s appraisal, this blade was forged by Kiyoshige, who was active during the early Edo period. The swordsmith, Choshu Ju Fujiwara Kiyoshige, active during the early Edo period (the late 17th century), is considered to include Nagato no Kuni Abu-gun Hagi Ju Hasegawa Hachizaemon no Jo Kiyoshige (長門国阿武郡荻住長谷川八左衛門尉清重), the first-gen Hasegawa Hachizaemon Kiyoshige (長谷川八左衛門清重), and his son, the second-gen Hasegawa Hachizaemon Kiyoshige. The first-gen Hasegawa Hachizaemon Kiyoshige’s real name was Hasegawa Kanbei (長谷川勘兵衛) and the descendant of the Nioh school, which is the group of swordsmiths (school) that flourished from the mid-Kamakura period to the late Muromachi period (500-750 years ago) and lasted until the Edo period (150—400 years ago). The school was founded by Nioh Taro Kiyotsuna (二王太郎清綱) in Suo province (today’s Yamaguchi prefecture). According to his remaining work, the oldest blade was forged in 1265. It is currently enshrined at the Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima. It is said that he started to forge swords in around 1205 (the early Kamakura period). The Nioh swordsmiths inherited the part of its founder’s name 清 (Kiyo), such as 清房 (Kiyofusa), 清長 (Kiyonaga). Hasegawa Hachizaemon Kiyoshige was also a renowned swordsmith of this school. The Nioh school declined during the early Edo period, and the first-gen Hasegawa Hachizaemon Kiyoshige moved from Bizen province to Hagi, Choshu province, around the Kanei era (the early-mid 17th century) and became an Okakaekaji for the Mori family, the load of the Choshu domain. Okakaekaji is a swordsmith who exclusively forged swords for a specific domain or clan. The second-gen Hasegawa Hachizaemon Kiyoshige also lived in Hagi and later moved to Susa, Abu-gun in Choshu and also became an Okakaekaji in the Masuda family, the chief retainer of the Choshu domain. It is also said that the Kiyoshige family held the head position of the swordsmiths of the Choshu domain for generations since the Edo period, and also supported Minamoto Kiyomaro, one of the three most renowned swordsmiths during the late Edo period, who lived in Hagi, Choshu, for a couple of years during the Tenpo era (the late Edo period) as the chief swordsmith of the Choshu domain. Judging from the fact, the craftsmanship of the Kiyoshige family must have been highly appreciated. It is appraised as a Hozon Token (保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). *Please keep in mind that there are a couple of Kitae Kizu on the mune (backbone of the blade). Fuchi-Kashira We assume the theme of this Fuchi Kashira is Hassen (八仙), the eight Taoist hermits who were also disciples of Lao Tzu (老子, Roshi). It is said that they have been widely accepted and believed in China. And they are like Shichifukujin (七福神, the Seven God of Good Fortune) in Japan, and used as the subject of auspicious pictures painted on various objects, for example, ceramics, and the motif of various works of art. Each hermit has a unique belonging. On the Fuchi Kashira, you will find several people. One holding a fan similar to a Basho sen (芭蕉扇, palm-leaf fan) might be Kanshori (漢鍾離) or called Shori Ken (鍾離権). He is said to have been able to revive the souls of the dead. The man with a Houtan (瓢箪, gourd) is probably Chokaro (張果老) or Ritekkai (李鉄拐). Chokaro is said to have folded the donkey like paper and carried it in a gourd, then sprayed it with water to restore it to its original size and traveled tens of thousands of miles a day on its back. In Japan, there is a saying, “Hyoutan kara Koma (A horse from a gourd),” meaning that the impossible becomes reality. It is said that this story became the origin of the term. Ritekkai also holds a gourd and a rod made of iron called Tekkai (鉄拐), and is said to have been able to make his soul fly far away. Tsuka and Menuki It seems that the Menuki depicts someone working on something at a desk. Tsuba and Habaki Seven sages and the bamboo grove are engraved with openwork and partly painted gold. The theme of this Tsuba is the Chikurin no Shichiken (竹林の七賢, seven sages of the bamboo grove). It is said that they were the people who lived during the Three Kingdoms period (三国時代), a particularly confusing period in Chinese history, when the Han Dynasty was dissolved and divided into the three dynasties, followed by not only power struggles but also internal power struggles, and these men exchanged talks with their companions in a place away from the mundane world. They all were said to have the purity of reclusive spirit, strong Taoist and anti-Confucian values. Bamboos grow neatly towards the sky, and it is vital so that this motif represents nobility and strength. Besides, the bamboo breaks straight, but its content is hollow; people thought it shows innocence. According to a Chinese legend, Houhou (鳳凰, Fenghuang) eats bamboo fruits; therefore, bamboo has been considered a sacred plant. Also, as it keeps its green color even in cold winter, people thought the bamboo pattern shows eternity and longevity. We would say that the bamboo pattern is one of the familiar designs for Japanese people since ancient times. Saya The surface of this scabbard has a unique wave-like pattern. Also, there are some gold powder-like patterns on the black lacquer. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on August 27th in the 3rd year of Reiwa (2021). They appraised it as Hozon Touken, the blade worth preserving for Japanese society.
Offered by Samurai Museum
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Nagato · around 1688-1704
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The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
For two and a half centuries of peace the sword was the warrior’s legal badge rather than his weapon. Each great city developed its own manner, Edo’s tested strength against Ōsaka’s polished brilliance, until demand thinned in the era’s last decades.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
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