Info on Fujiwara Kiyoshige Saku.

[steve oakley]

Hello All

 

I am soon to acquire Katana with Koshirae with Signature: Cho shu ju Fujiwara Kiyoshige Saku.

It is said that he is Chu-josaku ranking. Choshu province. I know that he is from the late edo period (so i have been told)

Just after info from the time he started making swords and to possibly when he stopped making them.

Any references or opinions would be great and appreciated regardless of good or bad.

 

From the research i have done Chu-josaku rating is above average. Did all swords get a rating in that period or only if it was requested by the owner or smith.

 

I recently saw another sword by what i think is the same smith for close to $10k, but the lsiting stated that he was a smith from about 1751. 1751 to end of edo is a big time gap for the same smith?

 

regards

Steve

Katana.doc

[John A Stuart]

From Fujishiro.

KIYOSHIGE CHÔSHÛ [HÔREKI 1751 NAGATO] SHINTÔ CHÛJÔSAKU

His works are suguba or nioi shimari gonome, and he is famous for horimono.

Signature: CHÔSHÛ JÛ FUJIWARA KIYOSHIGE

Plate III: CHÔSHÛ JÛ FUJIWARA KIYOSHIGE

John

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello,

 

Congratulations, this sword appears to have a very nice shape to it. Perhaps, you could share more detailed images of the sword and koshirae at some point?

 

for convenience the image has been re-formatted below.

 

[doug e lewis]

thank you Franco. must easier on the eyes, and ... no fuss! :D

 

my pc started making funny noises when opening that jpg , must learn that format thing.

 

very pleasing katana; must be comfortable to hold with all its fittings on. yes, must see all the furnature. please.

 

thank you for sharing,

 

doug e

[steve oakley]

When it arrives i will post some more photos.

 

Regards

Steve

[Gabriel L]

Steve,

 

To answer one of your questions, the ratings you refer to are a post-hoc, contextual, subjective system developed by one particular expert (Fujishiro). I highly recommend Darcy's article on ratings.

[steve oakley]

Hello All

 

Received my new acquisition and photos attached. Can anyone that has a reference tell me the rough year that this smith was active, i believe that this one was late edo.

 

regards

Steve

[steve oakley]

Hello All

 

A couple more photos, the saya is black roiro, so nothing special im afraid.

 

regards

Steve

[Eric H]

Nakago of a shinshinto Choshu Kiyoshige.

Eric

[Toryu2020]

Steve -

we don't want to rob you of one of the pleasures of owning a sword, the search for just who the artist is. There were at least 8 artists working as Kiyoshige in Choshu during the Edo perod. Three that would be considered Shinshinto; Bunka, Tempo and Gen-ji. If you consider that an artists working life is thirty or forty years either side of these dates, you might even say that the man dated to 1781 worked toward the end of the Edo period...

-t

 

show us the nakago if you've the chance...

[steve oakley]

Hello All

 

From some enquiries, i think the smith is from the Bakumatsu period 1853-1867? I have attached a photo of the nakago.

 

Also attached is a photo of a horizontal 1cm opening which is 6cm from the habaki. Would this be considered a forging flaw or kizu. Would it affect the overall value of the blade.

 

regards

Steve

[John A Stuart]

This little hadaware is nothing to be concerned about and quite a common kizu. John

[steve oakley]

Hello All Again

 

Eric i have looked at the nakago of the shin shinto and alas it is not the same, i asked my friend google and came up with this: http://www.nihonto.com/11.14.08.html. The mei are pretty close but i am no expert. Any comparison opinions on the mei of this site compared to mine would be appreciated.

 

If it is from 1751 as previously mentioned by John then i would be wrapped and i brought it thinking that it was a late edo piece.

 

I wish to have no discussion about the item for sale as it is irrelavant to this thread and wish no negative comments about the sellers item or to discourage any future customer. It is for reference only so that i can have an idea of which Kiyoshige i have got.

 

Thanks for any help

 

regards

Steve

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

I don't think it is the same, the work is different, the nakago too, and the mei seems not engraved by the same hand (look carefuly the ji Wara and Kiyo).

[Eric H]

For better comparison

Eric

[steve oakley]

Hi Again

 

I have attached the papers that came with the sword, dont know if it helps??

 

regards

Steve

[John A Stuart]

Well, it verifies it as shoshin. John

[steve oakley]

Hello All

 

I have a another question if someone may know. If there were 8 smiths of this name did they all receive the Chu-josaku ranking.

 

regards

Steve

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Hello All

 

I have a another question if someone may know. If there were 8 smiths of this name did they all receive the Chu-josaku ranking.

 

regards

Steve

 

 

No, only the first is rated chu-jo by Fujishiro

[Wickstrom]

Could anyone please give me some information on "Choshu Ju Fujiwara Kiyoshige" as i have no books and am out of funds to purchase a Hawley volume.

 

So far all I know is he is rated 15 by Hawley, worked in the Kanbun era, and is from the Nio school.

 

 

Here is a picture of his signature.