Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
NihontoWatchNihontoWatchSummary This blade is attributed to Bishu Aoki Motohira (尾州青木元長), who was active at the end of the Edo period (Bunka era: 1804-1818). Bishu is another name for Owari province. He learned sword-forging techniques from various masters, including the 6th-gen Nobutaka in Owari province (Today’s Aichi prefecture), Ozaki Suketaka in Settsu province (Today’s Osaka prefecture), Oku Motohira in Satsuma province (today’s Satsuma province). We assume he must have aspired to learn highly skilled craftsmanship from these masters. His birthname was Kiheibei, and he first signed Nobunao (信直) after becoming an apprentice of the 6th-gen Nobutaka (六代信高) during the Bunka era (1804-1818). We believe Motonaga was allowed to use one Kanji letter of his master’s name, Nobu (信), after being acknowledged by Nobutaka. After finishing his apprenticeship and gaining fame in Owari province, he moved to Osaka to learn sword-forging techniques from Ozaki Suketaka (尾崎助隆), who was famous for creating Toranba, a particular wavy tempering line. He was eager to master more intricate craftsmanship after staying in Osaka. In the third year of the Kyowa era (1803), he moved to Satsuma province and served Oku Motohira (奥元平), one of the most famous swordsmiths in the region back then. During his stay in the Satsuma province, he changed his name from Nobunao to Motonaga (元長). On this occasion, he also received a Moto (元) letter from his master. He learned various techniques from prestigious makers, and eventually, he settled near Nagoya castle in Aichi prefecture. Tsukuri (Structure) This blade has an interesting Tsukuri (structure). One side was made with Shinogi Zukuri, and the other side with Hira Zukuri. Shinogi Zukuri is the typical structure of the Japanese sword. A Japanese sword forged with the ridgeline near the Mune (backbone of the blade). There is Yokote in the Shinogi Zukuri Japanese swords. Yokote is the borderline between the tip and cutting edge. Hira Zukuri is a sword made flat on both sides without any ridgelines. This kind of Tsukuri was common in the Soshu tradition, one of the five Japanese sword-forging traditions. Horimono (Engraving) The Horimono (彫物, blade sculpture) is one of the elements of this blade’s beauty. Two different Horimos are engraved on each side. The one is the Suken (素剣) pattern. It is a simplified design of the Sanko-Duka-Ken (三鈷柄剣), which is a sword that the Fudo Myo-O (不動明王acalanātha, one of the objects of worship in Buddhism) brings. It is an esoteric Buddhist tool used for esoteric prayer, meditation, purification, and amulets. It is believed that this sword would exorcize evil spirits. The other side shows dragon. Initially, the dragon is an imaginary creature found in ancient Chinese traditions or myths. Furthermore, it is regarded as a symbolic beast of auspicious signs. Its body is likened to nine animals: antlers are deer, the head is a camel, eyes are demons, the neck is a snake, belly is Mizuchi (蛟, mythical animal in Japan which looks like a snake and have a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers, and ears are cows. It was thought that the dragon would reign at the top of all animals because of its odd-looking appearance. Also, in Japan, there is a belief that worships dragon as a water god and is called Ryujin Shinkou (竜神信仰). Since rice cultivation flourished in this country, water is always an essential resource. Therefore, the dragon motif has been familiar to Japanese people since a long time ago. *Please keep in mind that there is partial black rust on the blade while its overall condition great. For more detail, please feel free to contact us. Authentication Paper NTHK, also known as NPO Nihon Touken Hozon Kai, is the oldest organization for sword authentication of Japanese swords in modern times. It was established in 1889 during the post-Samurai era. They authenticated the blade on June 16th in the first year of Reiwa (2019).
Motonaga元長
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Settsu · around 1801-1804
Fujishiro Chu-jo saku · Tōken Taikan top 76%
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The Edo period (1615 to 1868)
Edo was the sword’s age of connoisseurship: the Hon’ami appraisers, the shogunal register of famous blades of 1719, and a thriving literature turned the sword into an object of study even as it ceased to be drawn in war.
The NTHK’s principal certificate, issued for a blade of considerable quality. It confirms a genuine signature, or, for an unsigned (mumei) work, records the judges’ attribution to a smith or school. The paper carries a detailed worksheet with a numerical point score.
The NTHK (Nihon Tōken Hozon Kai, the Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Sword) is the oldest of Japan’s sword-appraisal bodies, founded in 1910, decades before the NBTHK. After the death of its long-serving head it divided into two successor societies, the NTHK and the NTHK-NPO, both of which continue to hold shinsa. NTHK blade certificates are known for a detailed worksheet that records a numerical point score alongside the judges’ written opinion (fitting papers carry the judges’ opinion without a point score), and the society is especially respected for its attribution of unsigned (mumei) work.
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