Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 Uncategorized

16| Late Kamakura period: Soshu Den Tanto (相州伝短刀)

0-timeline - size 24 Late KamakuraThe red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

17 Soshu Tanto

Sugata (Style 姿)—-Three types of Tanto appeared (as below)

  1. Takenoko-Zori —– Approximately 10 inches long.  However, during the middle Kamakura period, they were slightly longer than 10 inches.  Hirazukuri shape.  The width is a little wider than that of the mid-Kamakura period.  Refer Chapter 12|  Middle Kamakura Period: Tanto (Dagger: 鎌倉中期短刀） (dagger, knife).
  2. Chukan-Zori—–Mune side is straight.  Hirazukuri.  Wide mihaba (width).  Slightly thick body.  Fukura Kareru, see below.
  3. Saki-Zori —–bend outward at the top, hirazukuri, fukura kareru. (illustration below)

16 Three Tanto

9 Boshi Fukura

Hi (樋: Grooves) and Horimono (彫り物: Engravings)————-Often, hi (groove) is shown on the mune side.  Sometimes, ken (dagger) and Bonji (Sanskrit) are curved inside the wide hi.  Refer to Chapter 12, Middle Kamakura Period: Tanto,  for hi.

17 Bonji Suken          17 Gomabashi Hi

Hamon (刃文: tempered line) ————- Hamon closely resembles that of the Late Kamakura period.  Refer to Chapter 14, Late Kamakura Period Sword.   Some tanto may have a wide hamon, while others may have a narrow one.  Often, a narrow hamon appears at the lower part,  followed by a wider hamon at the top.  The hamon work around the fukura area is the widest and most showy.

15 Late Kamakura Soshu Hamon         17 Masamune Hamon

 

 Ji-hada (地肌: the area between hamon and shinogi)  ——-Ji-hada is excellent, showing a lot of ji-nie (nie work on ji-hada).  Yubashiri and chikei  (clusters of nie) are shown.

17 Yubashiri, Chikei

Yubashiri, Chikei both are created by the collection of Nie

Early Soshu Den (school) swordsmiths at the late Kamakura Period

Soshu den (school) —————–Yukimitsu (行光), Masamune (正宗), Sadamune (貞宗)  Yamashiro Den (school)———————-Rai Kunitsugu (来国次), Rai Kunimitsu (来国光) Yamato Den (shool) —————————————————-Taema Kuniyuki (当麻国行) Ettchu Province ———————————————————-Ettsu Norishige (越中則重) Chikuzen province—————————————————Chikuzen Samoji (筑前左文字)

                                                                Enju Kuniyoshi (延寿国吉) once family sword

                                             

                         Goro-Nyudo Masamune (Sano Museum catalog permission granted)  This Tanto shape is rare for Masamune.

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 16 The revival of Yamato School, Uncategorized

15| The Revival of Yamato Den（大和伝復活）

0-timeline - size 24 Late Kamakura

　　　　　　　　The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

It is believed that sword-making first started in Yamato province (now Nara Prefecture) during the Nara period (710 to 794).  In the early days of sword-making, the forging techniques were primitive.  At that time, many swordsmiths lived in Yamato, but over time, sword-making in this region declined.

At the end of the Kamakura period, several powerful Buddhist temples emerged in the Yamato area, leading to conflicts among them.  Temples held significant political and military power to control large territories called shoen (荘園) through their large numbers of warrior monks, known as sohei (僧兵).  The most dominant group was Nanto Sohei (南都僧兵)*.  These groups of sohei demanded more swords to arm themselves, which revitalized the Yamato-den (school) and increased the number of swordsmiths in the Yamato area.   As a result, the Yamato-den group became active again.  The Yamato-den style is somewhat similar to the Yamashiro-den.    

*Nanto Sohei (南都僧兵)—————-Since around the 11th century, Buddhist temples grew powerful under the protection of the Joko (retired emperors).  These temples had many sohei (low-level monks who also served as soldiers). When power struggles arose among the temples, sohei fought as their soldiers on the battlefields.  Nanto Sohei were such soldiers at Kofuku-Ji Temple (興福寺).  Several large temples, such as Todai-ji (東大寺) Temple, controlled the Yamato area.

Sugata (姿: Shape) —————- Not much difference in style during the early part of Yamato–den and Yamashiro-den.  Shinogi is high.  Mune is thin.   Some Yamato-den have a shallow sori (curvature).

16 Yamato sword cross section

Hamon (刃文：Tempered line) ——————Narrow tempered line.  Mainly nie (沸).  Chu-suguha-hotsure (中直刃ほつれ: a medium straight line with a frayed pattern), ko-choji-midare (小丁子: a mixture of small clove-like patterns and irregular wavy lines), ko-midare (小乱: small irregular wavy lines), ko-gunome-komidare (小五の目小乱: small continuous half-circles mixed with wavy lines). 

The main features of the Yamato–den style sword are masame (straight grain).  Its tempered line often shows nijyu-ha (double straight lines), hakikake (brush mark trace), uchinoke (a crescent-shaped line), or a combination of these.   See the illustration below.

 

Boshi (鋩子: Tempered line at Kissaki area) ———- In the boshi area, a straight grain hamon pattern appears.  Yakizume or kaen. (Refer to Chapter 12, Middle Kamakura period: Tanto).  O-maru, ko-maru, nie-kuzure.  (Refer to Chapter 14, Late Kamakura Period Sword.  See the illustration below.)

                                 

15 Omaru Komaru Niekuzure

Ji-hada (地肌)：Area between the shinogi and the tempered line)———— mostly masame-hada (straight grain pattern 柾目肌). Fine ji-nie, chikei, or yubashiri.  (Refer to Chapter 14, Late Kamakura Period Sword (鎌倉末太刀).  See below.)

16 Masame Hada

Nakago (Hilt) ———————– Often displays Higaki Yasuri (檜垣), the finishing file pattern, as illustrated below. 

16 Higaki Yasuri

Names of the Yamato School Sword-smiths

Taema(当麻) Group————–Taema Kuniyuki(当麻国行)　Taema Tomokiyo(当麻友清) Shikkake (尻懸) Group———————————————-Shikkake Norinaga (尻懸則長) Tegai (手掻) group ——————Tegai Kanenaga (手掻包永) Tegai Kanekiyo(手掻包清) Hoshou (保昌) group———Hosho Sadayoshi ( 保昌貞吉) Hosho Sadamune (保昌貞宗)

Yamato Senjuin Saya Enso (大和千手院沙弥円宗)  once my family sword

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 15|Late Kamakura period

14| Late Kamakura Period Sword (鎌倉末太刀)

0-timeline - size 24 Late Kamakura

The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

The beginning of the Soshu style

A new sword style called Soshu-den appeared after the Mongolian invasion during the later part of the Kamakura period.  The Kamakura region became prosperous under the rule of the Hojo family (北条).  Many swordsmiths moved to Kamakura.  These included the Kunitsuna group (国綱)  from the Yamashiro area and Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukezane (福岡一文字助真) and Kunimune (国宗) from the Bizen area.  They are the originators of Soshu-den (相州伝).  A well-known swordsmith, Goro-Nyudo-Masamune (五郎入道正宗), emerged during this time.

15 Soshu sword with explanation

Sugata (Shape 姿) ——- O–kissaki (large kissaki: 大切先) and chu-kissaki (medium kissaki: 中切先).   The tip of the hi ends lower (see the illustration below).  Hamaguri– ha is no longer in style.  The body has become thinner.  The original length was approximately three feet or longer, but most were later shortened to two feet, three inches, or four inches.  The shortened sword is called o-suriage (大磨上).

15 Kissak shape of 4

14 Hi end lower

Hamon——————–Ｎarrow Hamon and wide Hamon.     

Narrow Hamon ——- A mix of Suguha (straight),  Ko-choji (small clove-like pattern), and Ko-gunome (small half-circle pattern).  Small Nie base. (shown below)

10 Nie & Nioi

Wide Hamon ——– Notare midare (wavy).  O-gunome.  Nie base.  Ashi-iri (short line toward the blade, the right drawing below). Inazuma (lightning-like line) or kinsuji (bright line) may appear on a tempered line.  However, inazuma and kinsuji require trained eyes to detect.  It is difficult for beginners to see inazuma or kinsuji.  

15 Late Kamakura Soshu Hamon

Boshi————The main body and boshi have the same type of hamon.  At the tip of the kissaki, angle it back slightly or yakizume.  You might also see o-maru (large round), ko-maru (small round), kaen (flame-like), or nie-kuzure.  Yakizume and kaen (Chapter 12).

15 three boshi name

Ji-hada (between the shinogi and the tempered line) ——-Strong ji-nie (地沸), which are sand-like small dots appearing on the ji (between the tempered line and the mune).  Yubashiri (a cluster of ji-nie), kinsuji (a bright, radiant line formed by nie), inazuma (a lightning-like irregular line), or chikei (similar to kinsuji) may appear on the ji-hada.

15 Yubashiri, Chikei, Inazuma

Late Kamakura Period Soshu School Sword Smiths

From Bizen————–Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukezane (福岡一文字助真) Kunimune (国宗 )   From Yamashiro ————————————–Toroku- Sakon- Kunituna (藤六左近国綱) 

The three swordsmiths mentioned above originated the Soshu-den (school) in Kamakura.  Later, Tosaburo Yukimitu and his son, the famous Goro Nyudo Masamune, emerged.

More  Soshu Den swordsmiths other than above

From Yamashiro (山城)———- Rai Kunitsugu (来国次), Hasebe Kunishige (長谷部国重) From Etchu (越中) province ———————Gou- no-Yoshihiro (郷義弘) Norishige (則重) From   Mino (美濃) province ——————————————-Kaneuji (兼氏) Kinjyu (金重) From   Chikuzen (筑前) province —————————————————-Samoji (左文字)

Goro Nyudo Masamune (正宗): his hamon is like ocean waves. (Sano Museum permission granted)        

Masamune  (政宗）                                          Yoshioka Ichimonji （吉岡一文字）

Once owned by my family