NihontoWatchOrdering Number: 24717Katana in Koshirae (NBTHK Hozon Token)Inscription: Norinaga(late Shikkake school)We divide works in to Saijo Saku, Jyojyo Saku, Jyo Saku,and Regular Saku.This piece is ranked as Jyojyo Saku for Norinage(late shikkake).Habaki: silver single habakiBlade Length: 20.1cm (7.91in)Curvature: noneMekugi-ana: 1Motohaba: 1.53cm (0.60in)Kasane: 0.53cm (0.21in)Weight: 415gEra: early Muromachi period, circa15th centuryShape: thin, thick and small TantoJigane: Itame and Mokume with Chikei.Hamon: Ko-nie base thin SuguhaFeatures:The Shikkake school was a group of Yamato swordsmiths founded by Norinaga, and continued from the Kamakura period through the middle Muromachi period. Works made after the Muromachi period are attributed as “Later Generation Shikkake.” A work that reflects the quiet elegance of age.Koshirae:metal fittings: Shicuichi-base carved with arabesque.Kozuka: copper nanako base carved with birds.Hamon: Ko-nie base thin SuguhaNBTHK Hozon CertificateAoi-Art estimation Paperwhole OshigataPlease note: the price does not include the shipping fees.Price:150,000JPYOrder FormRelated Items:Tanto: Mumei(Unsigned)(Taima scnool)(Late Nanbokucho period to Oei era(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Tanto:Yoshimitsu(NBTHK Hozon Token)Tanto:Bizen Kuni Osafune Gengoro Kiyomitsu. A lucky day in August, Tenbun 23rd year (1554 AD). (NBTHK Hozon Token)Tanto: Bizen Koku Ju Unj(NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)Tanto:Nobukuni (Chikushi) (NBTHK Hozon Token)Tanto:Gassan Sadayoshi Saku Inscription: Banzairaku (NBTHK Tokubetsu Hozon Token)
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Yamato-den · Yamato
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The Shikkake school (尻懸派) stands among the five great Yamato traditions (Yamato goha) that flourished in the shadow of Nara's powerful temples during the late Kamakura period. While traditionally attributed to Norihiro as founder, Norinaga (則長) is regarded as the de facto progenitor, documented through extant tantō bearing inscriptions of his age: forty-eight in Bunpō 3 (1319) and sixty-nine in Ryakuō 3 (1340). These datings place his birth in Bun'ei 9 (1272), establishing him as a contemporary of the school's early development. Works attributed to later generations extend into the Muromachi period, indicating successive transmission of the name across multiple generations. Given the concentration of sōhei (warrior monks) in Yamato Province, it is natural that Shikkake smiths produced numerous naginata, with more surviving examples attributed to this school than any other Yamato tradition. Shikkake workmanship shares the fundamental Yamato vocabulary: construction with high shinogi and conspicuously wide shinogi-ji; forging in itame that characteristically flows, often incorporating mokume and nagare-hada with areas trending toward masame near the edge; and steel exhibiting thickly adhering ji-nie with frequent, stout chikei and occasional nie-utsuri. The tempering centers on suguha-based patterns, yet the school's signature lies in its treatment of the hamon: while maintaining the suguha foundation, Shikkake smiths tempered small gunome in connected succession (ko-gunome-tsure), creating a gently undulating effect. Along the habuchi appear characteristic Yamato activities—hotsure, nijūba, kuichigai-ba, uchi-noke, and yubashiri—with well-adhering ko-nie producing a bright, clear nioiguchi interwoven with kinsuji and sunagashi.
The bōshi typically runs straight with vigorous hakikake, often tending toward yakizume or taking on a flame-like (kaen) character at the point. While some examples execute pure suguha patterns, the intermixing of running ko-gunome within the ha remains the critical diagnostic feature distinguishing Shikkake from other Yamato schools[[c:1]], particularly Taima, with which it shares close affinities. The school's legacy endures through works of exceptional quality and preservation. Surviving naginata of grand scale—some exceeding 2 shaku 7 sun—demonstrate Nanbokuchō-period construction with characteristic shallow flaring and deep curvature, often transmitted in rare ubu-nakago condition. Shortened katana attributed to the school display vigorous forging in which flowing grain and chikei interweave, producing steel of remarkable clarity (saeru), while the tempering exhibits thickly adhering, strongly luminous nie creating bright visual effects. The consistent appearance of well-refined jigane with dense ko-itame and abundant ji-nie, paired with distinctive tempering patterns that balance fundamental suguha with running ko-gunome, establishes Shikkake as a school whose characteristic features remain unmistakable across centuries of production. Works attributed to this tradition regularly survive in kenzen (sound and well-preserved) condition, testimony to both original forging quality and careful transmission through successive generations. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Norinaga則長 | 1317-1319 | 43 |
| Norinari則成 | 1312-1317 | 0 |
| Nagamitsu長光 | 1233-1234 | 0 |
| Sukehiro助弘 | 1308-1311 | 0 |
| Norisada則貞 | 1428-1429 | 0 |
Yamato in the Muromachi period
The monasteries that had sustained Yamato lost ground through the Muromachi period, and the schools thinned with them; Sue-Tegai kept the old masame manner alive in quantity. The burning of Tōdaiji’s Great Buddha hall in 1567 closed the temple age.
Certifies a genuine blade worth preserving: a signature confirmed correct, or, if unsigned, an era, province, and school that the NBTHK can reliably identify.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
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