SWORD, Japan, Tomoshige 友重.

Swordsmith: Tomoshige 友重 Sword School: Fujishima 藤島 Region: Kaga 加賀 Date of Manufacture: 1390 (明徳 Meitoku) 1392 to 1394 (應永 Oei) - 1428 Art Period: Muromachi (1392–1573) Sword Period: Koto (800-1596) Total Blade Length: 69 Nagasa: 54.8 Information from: INDEX OF JAPANESE SWORDSMITHS - Markus Sesko TOMOSHIGE (友重), 2nd gen., Meitoku (明徳, 1390-1394), Kaga – “Tomoshige” (友重), “Fujishima Tomoshige” (藤島友重), he moved later from Echizen to Kaga, a theory says that it was him who studied under Kashū Sanekage (国家真景) and not the 1st gen. Tomoshige, there are tantō and tachi extant, the jigane is an itame-nagare mixed with masame and ji-nie, the hamon is a gunome mixed with chōji and togari in ko-nie-deki, in addition ashi, yō and sunagashi appear, the bōshi is midare-komi with a ko-maru-kaeri, the yasurime are kiri or katte-sagari, ryō-wazamono TOMOSHIGE (友重), 3rd gen., Ōei (応永, 1394-1428), Kaga – “Gashū Fujishima Tomoshige” (賀州藤嶋友重), “Tomoshige” (友重), “Fujishima Tomoshige” (藤島友重), more blades are extant from this generation Tomoshige onwards, we know date signatures from the 3rd gen. from the second to the 20th year of Ōei (1395-1413), he also signed with the prefix “Kashū” (賀州) or “Gashū” (賀州) for Kaga province, there are tachi and tantō but also wakizashi extant, the jigane is a little blackish, the jihada is an itame mixed with masame and ji-nie, the hamon is a gunome or suguha in nioi-deki with ko-nie, sometimes also angular gunome elements or a hako-midare in the style of Kanewaka (兼若) can be seen, the suguha shows hotsure, nijūba, and kuichigaiba and the ha is mostly quite nie-laden, the bōshi is midare-komi or sugu and has a pointed kaeri which does not run back very long, the tip of the tang is often a pronounced kurijiri or an iriyamagata-jiri, the yasurime are kiri or katte-sagari TOMOSHIGE (友重), 4th gen., Ōei (応永, 1394-1428), Kaga – “Tomoshige” (友重), “Fujishima Tomoshige” (藤島友重), first name Uemon (右衛門), he lived in Kaga´s Izumimura (泉村), there are no date signatures extant but he was active from about the second half of the Ōei until the Eikyō era (永享, 1 429-1441) Reference material from: NIHON TOKO JITEN - KOTO VOLUME - Yoshio Fujishiro 藤代 義雄 - Matsuo Fujishiro 藤代松雄 KANTEI SUPPLEMENT 1 - Markus Sesko NIHON KOTO SHI - Markus Sesko - Honma, Junji YUMEI KOTO TAIKAN 有銘古刀大鑑 [ LINK TO REFERENCE MATERIAL ] (https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mac4tfwn8d0342x/AAB6nCHdBKhCrbXXjJqiMiwIa?dl=0).