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 in the mid-Kamakura period.  Refer Chapter 12| The 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) shows on the Mune side, sometimes Ken (dagger) and Bonji (Sanskrit) are curved inside the wide Hi.  Refer to Chapter 12| The Middle Kamakura Period Tanto for Hi.

17 Bonji Suken          17 Gomabashi Hi

 

Hamon (tempered line 刃文) ————- Hamon is almost the same as the one on the Late Kamakura period swords.  Refer to 14| Late Kamakura Period: Sword (鎌倉末太刀) .  Some Tanto may have wide Hamon and others narrow.  Often narrow Hamon appears at the lower part,  then wider Hamon at the top.  The work of Hamon 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 with a lot of Ji-nie (the Nie work on Ji-hada).  Yubashiri and Chikei shows.

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)

17 Enju Kuniyoshi

Enju Kuniyoshi (延寿国吉) once family sword

17-masamune-tanto

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

Published by Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江

I was born and raised in Minato-ku, Tokyo Japan then moved to Kamakura. Now I live in Los Angeles. Graduated from Meiji University and received a degree in literature and curatorship. I hold a curatorship license. Also, I graduated from the California State University of Northridge and received a degree in Economics. My father owned a manufacturing company related to metal. As his hobby, he had been collecting Japanese swords and other types of Japanese art objects. He was one of the administrators of Nihon Bijutu Token Hozon Kyokai(日本美術刀剣保存協会), that is a sword museum located in Tokyo. One of his friends (Mori Sensei) who was also the main administrator, used to hold a Japanese sword study group in his house. I joined his study group. Mori sensei’s group was a very rare and valuable kind because he could bring top-quality swords as our study materials because of his position in the museum. The kind of swords we could study were top-quality museum swords. Those are the kind of swords people could only see through the glass display cases. Also, I studied swords with my father since he kept many swords in our house. This is how I started to get into Japanese sword study.

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