日本刀 刀 銘 信国吉政 日本美術刀剣保存協会 特別保存刀剣鑑定書付

附属品

NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Certificate, Shirasaya Case, Koshirae Mounting, Traditional Sword Carrying Case, Sword Maintenance Kit, Full Exportation Support

Category

Katana ( SHINTO)

Age

Early Edo Period

Location

Chikuzen province (Today’s Fukuoka prefecture)

登録証

Fukuoka 31630

販売店の記載のまま

This blade was signed by Chikuzen Jyu Minamoto Nobukuni Yoshimasa (筑前住源信国吉政). Chikuzen, is the province’s name located in Fukuoka prefecture today. Jyu means living. Minamoto Nobukuni is the name of his school, and Yoshimasa is his maker’s name. Those who belonged to Nobukuni School in Chikuzen province were called Tsukushi Nobukuni, one of the most prospered sword forging schools in Kyushu island during the Edo period. The maker’s name Yoshimasa lasted three generations, and we believe it was signed by the second generation. The second-gen Yoshimasa is also known as Nobukuni Heishiro (信国平四郎). He was born as the second son of Nobukuni Yoshisada (信国吉貞) in the fifth year of the Gen-Na era (1618). Yoshisada was the founder of Tsukushi Nobukuni school, and his older brother was the first-gen Yoshimasa. The second-gen Yoshimasa was especially active during the Kanbun-Enpo era (1661-1681: Early Edo Period). There is also a record of him forging a sword in the second year of the Jyokyo era (1685). The Fondation of Nobukuni School The Nobukuni school was initially founded by the first generation Nobukuni in Kyoto. The school stayed there for a few generations. However, the 4th generation Nobukuni SADAMITSU had to evacuate Kyoto city because the battle between the south emperor court and the north emperor court became severe. And as a result, Kyoto city was burnt(in the late 1300s). We called it the Nanbokucho war when the Japanese imperial court was separated into two. Nobukuni SADAMITSU managed to escape and arrive at Usaha(Ohita prefecture)to serve the Ajimu clan. Nobukuni school prospered there from third to 11th generation. However, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the three unifiers of Japan, destroyed the Ajimu clan during the late Azuchi Momoyama period (1582). And the 12th generation Nobukuni YOSHISADA moved to Chikuzen(Fukuoka prefecture), being invited by Kuroda Nagamasa, a famous feudal lord who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1602). It is said that the second-gen Yoshimasa also followed his father. Since then, Nobukuni school had been under the auspices of Kuroda clan for generations during the Edo period, and they exclusively forged for this clan. It is appraised as a Tokubetsu Hozon Token(特別保存刀剣) issued by NBTHK(Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai:日本美術刀剣保存協会). *Please keep in mind that there are a tiny Kitae Kizu on the Shinogiji (the opposite side of the cutting edge). Fuchi-Kashira The theme of this Fuchi Kashira is a classical design called the Botan ni Karajishi (牡丹に唐獅子). It is a combination of Botan (牡丹, peony) and Karajishi (唐獅子). Golden paint is applied to these motifs, and its bright color remains relatively in good condition today. About the Karajishi, the Shishi (獅子) means a lion in Japanese, and the Karajishi is a lion brought from the Continent to Japan in the Toh period (唐, Tang dynasty, 618-907). Karajishis typically have curly hair for their head, neck, body, and tail. In Buddhism, the Karajishi is regarded as a symbol of wisdom, and the Monju Bosatu (文殊菩薩, Manjushri Bodhisattva) rides lions. According to a theory, the Kara-Jishi originates from the Komainu (狛犬, stone guardian dogs that exorcize evil spirits). The flowers that are slightly visible at Karajishi’s feet are peonies. Peony represents happiness, wealth, nobleness, and gorgeousness. This flower pattern has been treated as a kind of good-omen motif; people regarded it as a rich harvest sign. As mentioned above, a peony is called the Botan in Japanese. When we write this flower’s name in Japanese, its second letter means mountain hermit medicine to give us eternal youth. Based on the meaning of this letter, the peony pattern symbolizes eternal youth and longevity. There is a Houwa (法話, Buddhist monks tell the story of Buddhism in an easy-to-understand manner) that treats the Kara-Jishi and this flower. The lion is called the king of the beasts. However, even this invincible animal has only one fear: a bug in the lion’s body. This pest grows in the lion’s hair and eventually breaks the skin and bites the flesh. Nevertheless, it dies if exposed to the night dew of peony. Therefore, the lion rests under peony flowers at night, looking for a haven. This Fuchi Kashira’s design might have been inspired by this story. Tsuba and Habaki The same as the Fuchi Kashira we focused on above, this Tsuba also has a decorative look thanks to the golden coloring on the black metal ground. The motifs engraved on this Tsuba are dragons. You would find the figures of two dragons on its front. Clouds surround the dragons, and their faces and parts of their bodies peek out through the gaps in the clouds. Coupled with the fact that the motifs are carved rather than painted, this composition gives a sense of depth and three-dimensionality. Initially, dragons were imaginary creatures found in ancient foreign traditions and 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, the belly is the Mizuchi (蛟, a mythical animal in Japan that looks like a snake and has a horn and four legs), scales are fish, claws are falcons, palms are tigers and ears are cows. A dragon was thought to reign at the top of all animals because of its odd appearance. Based on our experiences, there are lots of dragon-designed sword mountings. It shows that many Samurai warriors favored this dignified beast motif. Regarding the combination of dragons and clouds, clouds bring blessed rain and snow, and their movements significantly affect the day’s weather. Due to its supernatural power, a theory says that gods, spirits, and dragons dwell in the clouds. In Japan, there is a belief that dragons are worshipped as water gods. Since rice cultivation has flourished in this country, people always treat water as an essential resource. We imagine some people wished for a plentiful harvest in this combination. From such a religious aspect, we could infer that dragon designs were familiar to people. Authentication Paper They authenticated the blade on Dec 15th in the 5th year of Reiwa (2023). They appraised it as Tokubetsu Hozon Touken, the blade especially worth preserving for Japanese society.