Etchū Norishige

A Soshu school katana attributed to Etchu Norishige.

A tachi forged by Norishige. Kamakura period, 14th century

Etchū Norishige (則重; 1290–1366) was a Japanese swordsmith of the late Kamakura period. He was a contemporary and possibly a pupil of Masamune.[1] His swords are noted for their distinct matsukawa hada 松皮肌 (pine bark grain).[2] [3] One of his works is classified as Kokuho (National Treasures) by the Ministry of Culture, the highest classification for a sword.[2]

Norishige is regarded as one of the greatest Japanese swordsmiths in history.[4] In the 14th century, he had a forge in the fief of Nei, present-day Toyama Prefecture.[4] He made and supplied the finest katana to samurai in the Kamakura period.[4]

Katana Mumei Norishige

The Katana Mumei Norishige is designated as a national treasure of Japan. It was once the possession of Shimazu Narioki, 27th daimyō of the Shimazu clan and ruler of the Satsuma domain.[4] Narioki gifted the katana to Kagoshima Shrine (鹿児島神宮).[4] However, it went missing in the 20th century. It's believed to have been exported by Allied occupation forces after World War II.[4]

In 2018, Norishige's katana was bought by Australian sword collector Ian Brooks from a seller in New York.[4] The sword is unsigned, but it has the kanji 島神社 which matches Kagoshima Shrine and cataloging numbers on the scabbard wrapping that match the shrine's records.[4] Ian Brooks stated he intends to have the sword returned to Kagoshima Shrine after his death.[4]

See also

• List of National Treasures of Japan (crafts: swords)

References

1. Victor Harris (15 March 2005). Cutting Edge: Japanese Swords in the British Museum. Tuttle Publishing. pp. 32, 44. ISBN 978-0-8048-3680-7.
2. Brockbank, Darcy. "Etchu Norishige". yuhindo.com. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
3. Victor Harris; Nobuo Ogasawara (1 January 1990). Swords of the Samurai. Trustees of the British Museum. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-7141-1450-7.
4. "Missing 700-year-old national treasure katana found in Australia【Video】". SoranNews24. 26 February 2022. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022.