Fake or Fortune

[IBot]

Many UK readers will be familiar with the TV programme ‘Fake or Fortune’ in which an art-expert rummages around in the cellars of provincial art galleries and notices some feature of painting that suggests it may be a ‘lost’ masterpieces by a world famous artist. The show culminates in an opinion on the painting’s authenticity by a world leading expert on the suspected artist. There is a correlation of sorts between that programme and the story of the acquisition of the sword that forms the subject of this article, and in the absence of access to a shinsa panel, I can only offer the opportunity for the readers to make a judgement.

 

This tale started one evening whilst I was idly scrolling through images of swords coming up for sale on various on-line auctions. Amid the usual offerings of Chinese fakes, guntō, and older nihontō, was an image that showed, of all things, a spectacular silver kojiri partially embedded in the black lacquer of a saya. The only other image of the sword the auction house had posted was a somewhat out-of-focus shot taken from the end of the tsuka, showing that the kashira was missing, that the tsuka maki was black and there was a circular tsuba that was textured in some way. Purely on the quality of that kojiri I resolved to buy that sword if I possibly could. Came the day of the auction I had a brief bidding-tussle with someone before the sword was knocked down to me at a price that was rather more than I had anticipated, but was bearable.

 

What I had bought was a heavy blade with a 604mm nagasa, 16mm torii zori with a wide hi in the shinogi ji with a narrow hi along the line of the shinogi. The kissaki is of moderate length with only a short kaeri. The hada is a tight itame and there a slightly irregular suguba hamon with utsuri. Swords of this type, designed for use with one hand, are known as katate uchi tō.

 

The blade is signed:

Bishu Osafune Saemonjo Norimitsu - 　備州長船左衛門所則光

 

Dated:

Onin 2^nd year, 8^th month, a day - 応仁ニ年八月日 (1468)

 

Hawley lists a number of smiths using the name Saemonjo Norimitsu working in Osafune around this time, in particular, three generations founded by one whose work is rated in Afu Watson’s translation of Nihon To Koza as being rated Juyo Bunkasai or Important Cultural Property. The latter work has a complete section on the founder of the group giving details of his work that suggests I may have been rather more fortunate than I initially thought.

 

Could it be I had acquired a blade by the founder of the group? Was it, a ‘fake’ or had I found a lost ‘masterpiece’? I think I have and will leave the readers of this to draw their own conclusions.

[ROKUJURO]

Ian,

that looks really interesting and nice! Does the TSUBA match the high-end KOSHIRAE?

[Matsunoki]

Wow Ian, that’s some kojiri!

how about the f\k , menuki and tsuba? 
Habaki suggests quality.

Still trying to work out position of ana vs Mei vs date.  Nakago doesn’t look suriage?

Well done I’d say.

Colin

[Brian]

Nakago is suriage, although better finished than many. Patina on the nakago looks good, and suggests it was done a loong time ago. If it was longer, the sugata looks like it would have been quite spectacular. The hi suggests quality. I'm not qualified to comment on the maker, but it certainly looks interesting. I'd say a good buy.

[Alex A]

Looks to be a chunky sword, from the images and not reading the measurement i assumed it was a lot shorter than it is.

 

 

[Ooitame]

Looks like a good find, congratulations

 

[Jacques]

Interesting. At first sight given the mei's and the date location in accordance with the fashion of the time (Bizen mono) this sword seems shoshin. The nakago is ubu. it deserves to be shown to real experts (NBTHK shinsa).   

 

ps Hawley is not reliable.

[Gakusee]

I am aligned with Jacques here. Either ubu or close to ubu and slightly suriage. A lot of these Muromachi katateuchi were in the 60-65cm ballpark. 
 

A few of the better Norimitsu swords in the 1460-1480 period attached, including the JuBu. 
One (oshigata / earlier Juyo) is signed Saemonnojo. 

[IBot]

I didn't complicate matters by commenting too much on the koshirae, but people have asked so:-

The tsuba and fuchi are gilded, the former with a shakudo rim, and covered in cloisonné wires in the form of minute leaves and tendrils in green enamel. The only oddity is the fuchi has a small red spot on the ura side. 

 

I'm editing this because I forgot the menuki. These are quite thin, but show repoussé marks inside, as well as soldered wires suggesting they were once pouch clasps. They are of a matt white metal that doesn't seem to be silver as there is no tarnishing even inside. What the alloy is I am unsure but could be a variant of shibuichi with a higher silver content.

Ian B 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Very special! Thanks for showing this!

[Matsunoki]

51 minutes ago, IBot said:

They are of a matt white metal that doesn't seem to be silver as there is no tarnishing even inside. What the alloy is I am unsure but could be a variant of shibuichi with a higher silver content.

Ian, there is an alloy called Hakudo or “white bronze”. I’m not sure of the actual metallic composition but it is a possibility for your menuki. Objects are often “Matt” finish or dull. It was used a lot in the Taisho era  for okimono but of course probably existed prior to that.

here are a couple of examples…….do the menuki look to be a similar metal?

https://www.kagedo.com/hachii-koji-1960-hakudo-bronze-polar-bear

https://www.ewbankauctions.co.uk/20150416A-lot-548-Pair-of-Japanese-Hakudo-bronze-models-of-birds-each-bird-with-silvered-bodies-and-long-tails?arr=0&auction_id=11&box_filter=0&category=&department_id=&exclude_keyword=&export_issue=0&high_estimate=0&image_filter=0&keyword=&list_type=&lots_per_page=10&low_estimate=0&month=&page_no=48&paper_filter=0&search_type=&sort_by=&view=lot_detail&year=

[tokashikibob]

Old polish looks good,  I always like buying nihonto that way, Good buy!  I wonder what the price was?

[ROKUJURO]

I found this on the web:

HAKUDO = An alloy of 70-80% copper and 20-30% tin. As is known from mirrors made of HAKUDO, the tin content is higher than in bronze.

It sounds a bit surprizing that this alloy should have a silvery colour, considering the high copper content.

I am sure @Ford Hallam could tell us all about HAKUDO.

[IBot]

Thank you Colin and Jean - you are probably right about the alloy being hakudo. It looks very much like nickel - white, but dull and I would guess pretty hard.

Iab

[Ford Hallam]

Just passing by and thought I could add my 5 yen's worth 

 

Hakudo is indeed a high tin alloy, typically 20 to 23% tin. In it's usual cast alloy form it's incredibly hard and brittle so unlikely to be used in tosogu making, especially menuki which are worked up from flat sheet.

[drbvac]

Hard to believe after this amount of time to read a post with both old spectacular nihonto geniuses commenting together as Ford Hallam and Ian Bottomly - where have you two been? Still making fittings Ford?  Ian - where you been.

 

Now if neither you are the REAL Ford and Ian disregard !!!!!

Quote

 

 

[Brian]

Can confirm, no clones or fakes here.

[IBot]

Brian,  Yes I am still extant. I haven't been anywhere really, just tootling along picking up the odd sword here and there and generally enjoying life. It's funny how things happen. I bought my first sword when I was 14, but yearned for an armour in its box. Later, this wish became true and I both traded and sold almost all of the swords I had acquired (I once sold 30 swords and a naginata for £30 and made a profit). Those were the days when every junk shop had the odd sword in an umbrella stand that were invariably executioner's or 'harakiri knives'. Gradually I accumulated more and more armours, keeping some and passing others on. More recently I have re-discovered swords and have sold off some of the armours and started buying swords again, the finest being the subject of this thread. So here I now sit in my study, a helmet on a stand on my desk, some half a dozen or so armours in a room upstairs together with a modest collection of swords, a few teppo the odd yari, a naginata and jingasa hanging on a wall. - what more could I wish for? 

Ian 

[ROKUJURO]

1 hour ago, IBot said:

...... - what more could I wish for? .... 

A nice TSUBA?

[Jussi Ekholm]

Very nice find Ian, I would agree with Jacques and Michael that it shows high potential. The smith would be "Kanshō Norimitsu" dubbed by the peak period, and he is considered as the best smith of the lineage.

[Bugyotsuji]

Haha, I can see you there in my mind's eye, Ian. Most envious of your recent potential discovery. On pages 751 and 752 of the Nihonto Meikan 日本刀銘鑑 are the following entry. Sorry, but I ran out of likes halfway through your thread, having wasted too many on a trolling thread.

 

PS I think the Jo in your post above is a different character. Should be 尉, not 所?

 

From the frozen wastes.

 

Photos below...

 

 

 

[drbvac]

Ian: 

 

Well I for one am very pleased to see you back and to have your badge as a contributor is certainly and understatement considering your employemnt history and knowledge attained in your lifetime.

 

The blade you shared is truly amazing and only someone such as yourself would pick it out of an auction lot based on that spectacular kojiri - good purchase no doubt and certainly much more than you had to pay !!

[IBot]

Jean C,  As it happens I do have a very nice tsuba - a Christmas present from my sadly missed friend, Dr. W. Galeno of California.  I need to photograph it.

Ian

[ROKUJURO]

Ian,

I am looking forward to seeing it here!

[Bugyotsuji]

Notice the last line in the Meikan entry above, which ties in with your first post. (Although it's an old edition.)

（注）名工の誉が高い。(NB) A famous smith held in high regard.

刀一重文。One of his swords holds Juyo Bunkazai.

[IBot]

Jean C,  Here is a picture of the tsuba I mentioned. It has been ascribed to late Umetada School, but I know so little about sword fittings I wouldn't like to say.

Ian

[ROKUJURO]

Ian,

that is indeed spectacular! Very interesting!