Is This A Mei-To Or Not ?

[Sly]

Hi Guys.

 

I have noticed a naoe shizu katana on touken Matsumoto website. Mumei attributed to Kanenobu. There is a gold inlay with the kanjis "朝嵐" "asaarashi" or "Morning Storm".

 

https://www.touken-matsumoto.jp/eng/product_details_e.php?prod_no=KA-0237

 

Is this the kind of blade which is called a "mei-to" or is it only a term used for the most famous blades ?

 

Sly

[Geraint]

Dear Sylvain

 

Have a read here.  https://www.hochmajer.uk/introduction-to-the-Japanese-swords-meito-and-nihonto

 

Perhaps a better understanding is famous blades rather than just named blades.

 

All the best.

[Lance]

I believe the term Meito is mostly reserved  to a finest sword,  historical significance of use and who owned them (a famous sword like Doji-giri perhaps?) 

 

Named swords are still very special,  Markus Sesko's blog has a wonderful article on nicknames given to swords for their cutting ability;  

 

https://markussesko.com/2014/02/18/cutting-ability-nicknames-of-swords/

 

Regards,

Lance

[Peter Bleed]

Sylvain,

I think that "meito' is an open ended referent to something that might rendered as "really good swords." I see it as a word that lets dealers say that all their stuff is good,... but this one, is special.

Peter

[Ray Singer]

https://blog.yuhindo.com/meibutsu-and-meito/

[Sly]

The seller doesn't use the term "meito" to describe this sword. It was just my thought.

 

Lance, thanks for the article of Markus, it's very comprehensive (as always with Markus). It seems that the term "morning storm" has been used for other swords as well. Ray, if Darcy is right in his article, this Naoe shizu blade is a meito, but not a meibutsu.

 

Interesting.

[Darcy]

There is no guarantee I have it right. 

 

名刀 is meito and it generally means famous sword. But the first character means "Name" and so you get Name-sword out of it. Daimyo are the Big Names: 大名. 

 

The most famous swords are the meibutsucho swords and they are called meibutsu 名物.

 

But they had these names well before they were famous or collected in this list, so meito is not a back contraction from meibutsu. 

 

Colloquially meito has also simply meant good sword. 

 

For a sword to become famous it needs a name and getting the name is part of it becoming a famous sword so it's linked together. 

 

The word for the sword's name is a Go: 号

 

The NBTHK will use this to describe a sword with a name: 号初霜江 (Go: Hatsushimo Go)

 

 

If that name was in the meibutsu this item would be referred to as 名物初霜江 (Meibutsu: Hatsushimo Go)

 

With with Meito meaning something less than Meibutsu, I think it is a fair situation that a Name-Sword is a sword with a name. 

 

The colloquial use of meito as being a good sword is that it has the same qualities as a blade that became famous. Just without the name.

 

Lastly, these blades with names, may be "famous" with small letters. Famous to the family, in family history and so on. There is reason that someone gave them a name.

 

By the way that blade above is a strong Juyo candidate and a great piece, congrats to whomever bought it, send to Juyo.

[TheGermanBastard]

what was the price tag?

[Sly]

It was 1 000 000 ¥

[TheGermanBastard]

Very good price and beautifull blade