Numata Naomune

[sanjuro]

Gentlemen.

 

I'm looking for some info on the above Shin Shinto smith. Based in Higo c1825, a student of Suishinshi Masahide. As usual when I need info I dont have my books handy although I dont recall seeing his name in the books I do have, and Google doesnt give me anything apart from the information above, and the fact he was a samurai, a retainer of the Kumamoto domain in Higo.

serves me right! I just acquired a sword by him on spec and I dont know a thing about the dude. :D

[cabowen]

Are you sure he was a Masahide student and not a Naotane student???

[sanjuro]

Hi Chris.

 

I'm not 100% sure on anything really, the sword is ex Mike Yamaguchi and thats the info he had on the ebay auction. (against my own advice I do occasionally buy on ebay). Apparently this swordsmith also wrote a few books on forging methods. He is listed apparently in the Toko Taikan page 448 (a book I do not have).

If the smith is fairly obscure its unlikely the signature will be gimei, and for the price I paid, on a speculative bid, I cant really go wrong even if it is.

[cabowen]

The Meikan doesn't add much- from Higo, Masahide group (probably Naotane's student with the Naomune mei), and that he did a lot of research on forging....

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Yes, there is a Naomune (Numata) quoted in the Toko taikan, Higo province student of Shuishinsi Masahide school, rated 150 man. Infortunaly no oshigata.

[Ludolf Richter]

Hi,I found something about this swordsmith in REI-magazine (4/1997),but only in Japanese.Maybe somebody is helping you.Ludolf

[sanjuro]

My sincere thanks to all who have responded. Chris, Jacques and Ludolph. I would still like to know more about the swordsmith however and Ludolph's tantalising article in Japanese has given me a headache in trying to translate it. What information lies locked within that page eludes me. Any help in that direction would be a greatly appreciated.

 

For the sake of interest, the sword in question:

 

 

Once again, thank you gentlemen for your interest and your assistance. :D

[cabowen]

Could you post a close up of the mei?

[cabowen]

If the smith is fairly obscure its unlikely the signature will be gimei...

 

That is not necessarily true. Many lower ranked smiths have been faked exactly because people think that only the big names are faked...$17K for a sword is plenty of motive to make a fake...

 

The nakago on your sword is quite different in shape than that in the example posted....I would check it carefully...

[sanjuro]

Chris.

 

Mei closeups as requested. These are from the original listing as I do not have the sword in hand yet. I also have found no genuine oshigata against which to check it.

[Ludolf Richter]

Sorry for my pic from Rei:the text was correct but the sword on the right side belonged to the previous page.Here are the correct ones on the right side of my pic (on the left side "yours").Ludolf.

[sanjuro]

Thanks again Ludolph. I received the sword today and compared the mei with your example. Its always better in hand. There are small differences but head on rather than at an angle as the photographs show it, the mei is very close and the chisel strokes almost match perfectly. I'm not 100% sure, but theres every reason to believe the mei is genuine. :D

I have to say that the sword is much better in hand than the ebay pictures show. Komonjo has proven itself in this instance, so thanks to mike Yamaguchi as well. A little of my faith in ebay dealers has been returned.

[cabowen]

It seemed to me that there are some glaring differences, but I don't have the blade in hand....