Tachi signed Norikuni (Awataguchi Norikuni)

Awataguchi Norikuni was a swordsmith of the early Kamakura period (13th century) active in Awataguchi, the eastern gateway district of Kyoto (modern Higashiyama Ward). He was a member of the Awataguchi school, which produced some of the greatest Yamashiro-tradition swordsmiths from the late Heian through Kamakura periods — including Kunitomo, Hisakuni, Kuniyasu, and Yoshimitsu — and was renowned for a refined, aristocratic style that fused the aesthetic sensibilities of the Kyoto court with the demands of swordsmanship. Norikuni is traditionally placed as a son or grandson of Kunitomo.

The blade measures 74.7 cm with a curvature of 2.1 cm, bearing a two-character "Norikuni" signature on the haki-omote (obverse). The form is the classic early Kamakura tachi shape: slender-bodied, with a small and slightly drooping kissaki (tip), an elegantly proportioned blade that stands in graceful contrast to the more dramatic forms of later periods.

The steel is a closely packed ko-itame ji-hada with fine ji-nie (surface nie), lending the metal a bright, refined appearance. The hamon is a slender suguha (straight temper line) with subtle variations, refined and unhurried in character — the quintessential "Kyoto sword" aesthetic, embodying courtly quietude rather than the flamboyance of Bizen work. The boshi (tip temper line) returns in a small ko-maru form.

Handed down through the Ikeda clan, lords of Tottori domain, this blade was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1934 and a National Treasure in 1954. It is now held at the Kyoto National Museum.

Signed works by Norikuni are extremely rare. Together with the Important Cultural Property tachi at Atsuta Shrine, this National Treasure is the primary reference piece for establishing Norikuni's style and dating. It represents the pinnacle of the Awataguchi school's classical Yamashiro tradition.