new sword

**delibes** · 05-22-2023, 04:51 PM

Hi,

This one is for the sword collectors. I have swords but it stayed by gunto's for the military.
So if someone could help me with this one it would be very appreciated!!
I like her she has a nice look.

Regards
Delibes

**ghp95134** · 05-22-2023, 07:16 PM

(菊紋) 山城守藤原國清
(kiku mon) Yamashiro [no] Kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo
(Chrysanthemum) Fujiwara Kunikiyo, Lord of Yamashiro

note: 守 "lord" is an honorary rank title

鍛南蛮鉄釼之
This sword is forged from Southern Barbarian [i.e., Foreign] Iron

From Markus Sesko's Japanese Swordsmiths:

KUNIKIYO (国清), 1st gen., Kan´ei (寛永, 1624-1644), Echizen – “Yamashiro no Kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo” (山城守藤原国清), “Yamashiro no Daijō Fujiwara Kunikiyo” (山城大掾藤原国清), “Yamashiro no Kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo nanban-tetsu o mote kore o saku” (山城守藤原国清以南蛮鉄作, “made by Yamashiro no Kami Fujiwara Kunikiyo by using nanban-tetsu”), real name Shimada Kichizaemon (島田吉左衛門), he was the son of the 2nd gen. Shimada Sukemune (助宗) and was born in Matsumoto (松本) in Shinano province, he signed with the name Sukemune too but with the apprenticeship under Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広) he changed his name to Kunikiyo, after the death of Kunihiro he was hired by Matsudaira Tadamasa (松平忠昌, 1598-1645) who was then the daimyō of the Matsushiro fief (松代藩) of Shinano province, with Tadamasa´s transfer to the Takada fief (高田藩) of Echigo province in Genna four (元和, 1618), Kunikiyo moved to this place too, and with the final transfer to the Fukui fief (福井藩) of Echizen, Kunkiyo moved move to a residence in Edo’s Hamamachi (浜町) district which was provided by the fief, he received the honorary title Yamashiro no Daijō on the 17th day of the second month Kan´ei four (1627) and also got the permission to carve a chrysanthemum on his tangs, in the second month of Kan´ei five (1628) the title was raised to Yamashiro no Kami, Kunikiyo died in the second year of Keian (慶安, 1649) at the age of 60, his date of death is also listed as first day of the third month Kanbun five (寛文, 1665), dense ko-itame with ji-nie or an itame which appears as zanguri, there is masame in the shinogi-ji, mostly a suguha in ko-nie-deki, rarely he also applied a gunome-midare or a notare mixed with ko-midare, in any case with nie and a wide nioiguchi, his suguha remind of Hizen-tō and his midareba on works of the Horikawa school, the bōshi is mostly sugu with a ko-maru-kaeri, he signed katana with a tachi-mei and sometimes the central horizontal strokes of the lower radical (月) for “kiyo” (清) in a vertical or slanted manner, a meiburi which became later standard for successive generations Kunikiyo, wazamono, jō-saku

note: Here's another one and he uses the same "鍛南蛮鉄釼之" foreign steel:
link.

Note 2: About nanban tetsu in English.

-- Guy

**delibes** · 05-22-2023, 09:45 PM

What a research Guy. Every time you surprised me with youre work. This beautiful sword with a lot of history goes in my bureau.
Thank you friend for always be there helping everyone here on the forum. If one day you comes to belgium my door is wide open for you.

Regards
Delibes

**ghp95134** · 05-23-2023, 01:06 AM

Hi Delibes,

I love it when a plan comes together!

It looks like a very nice sword and I really .... really .... like the tsuba: I love arrows.

Thanks for the kind offer of your hospitality. If ever I get to Europe again I'll coordinate with you.

Cheers,
-- Guy