UNSIGNED, POSSIBLY UDA SCHOOL, NANBOKUCHO-MUROMACHI PERIOD (LATE 14TH -15TH CENTURY)

According to the government registration document, Homma Junji identified this blade as the work of Norishige, and a brief sayagaki also states that the sword was a presentation piece and by Norishige of Etchu (see Christie's, London, Important Swords from the Museum of Japanese Sword Fittings Part I, 10 November, 2004, lot 5). The smith is traditionally held to have been one of the ten pupils of Masamune of Soshu, although current opinion is that he was a pupil of Shintogo Kunimitsu together with Masamune and Yukimitsu during the late Kamakura period. Norishige is believed to have been of the old Uda school in Etchu, and returned there when the early Soshu school dispersed. The darkness of the hada and jifu are particularly indicative of such Hokkoku (northern provinces) work, including that of Norishige's pupil Tametsugu, who later migrated to Mino. Many swords by this group of smiths have been designated as "Juyo token" (Important Swords) and higher by the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (Society for the Preservation of the Japanese Art Sword).