Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 8 Kamakura period

7| Overview of the Kamakura Period Swords (鎌倉時代刀概要)

 
 

0-timeline - size 24 Kamakura Period

The circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

Introduction of the Five Main Sword Schools (Den)

There are five major sword schools (den): Yamashiro-den (山城), Bizen-den (備前), Soshu-den (相州), Yamato-den (大和), and Mino-den (美濃).  During the Heian period, Yamashiro-den was the main and most active school.  A school called Ko-bizen (meaning old Bizen) during the Heian period is part of the Bizen-den.  However, we treat Ko-bizen separately because its style is slightly different from the later Bizen-den, yet it is somewhat similar to Yamashiro-den, as seen later.

During the Heian period, the swordsmiths of Yamashiro-den lived around Kyoto, which was Japan’s capital at the time.  In the early Kamakura period, Yamashiro-den maintained a sword style similar to the one they had created during the Heian period.  Bizen-den emerged in the middle Kamakura period.  Soshu-den appeared in the late Kamakura period in the Kamakura area.  Mino-den appeared later during the Muromachi period, which came much later.

The Early Kamakura Period (鎌倉) (1184-1218)

We divide the Kamakura period into three stages: Early, Middle, and Late Kamakura periods. The sword style during the early Kamakura period was almost the same as in the previous Heian period.  Yamashiro-den remained the most active school throughout the early Kamakura period.

The Middle Kamakura Period (1219-1277)

During the middle Kamakura period, there were three main sword styles to discuss: the Yamashiro-den style, the Bizen-den style, and the Ikubi-kissaki (猪首切先) style, which was a new development at the time. We can say that among Ikubi-kissaki swords, it is rare to find a mediocre one.

The previous section explained how the Kamakura Bakufu (鎌倉幕府: government) held political and military power, but the emperor remained on the throne in Kyoto.  Emperor Gotoba raised an army and attacked the Kamakura government to regain political control.  This war (1221) is known as Jyokyu-no-ran (承久の乱).  The war led to a change in sword shape to a sturdier form.  This style is what we now call the Ikubi-kissaki.

The Late Kamakura Period (1278-1333  after the Mongolian Invasion)

During the late Kamakura Period, the Soshu-den emerged alongside Yamashiro-den and Bizen-den.  After the two Mongolian invasions known as the Genko (元寇) in 1274 and 1281, swords with longer, wider blades and extended kissaki began to appear.  The Soshu-den swordsmiths forged this type of sword

Engravings on a Sword     

Engravings on swords from the Ko-to era (Heian to Keicho era) serve three purposes.  One is to reduce the weight of the sword, such as hi, bohi, and gomabashi (wide, narrow, short, or long grooves), for example.  The second is for religious reasons, as swordsmiths often carved Buddhist figures.  The third is for decoration.  In the shin-to era (from Keicho time onward), engraving primarily became decorative purposes.    

 

The figures below illustrate examples of the engravings.

8 Hi, Suken, Bonji                    8 gomabashi            8 Hi

Suken                           Bonji (Sanskrit)             Gomabashi                          Hi

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 1| Preface

Preface and Biography

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Preface

This book is a series of introductory lectures on Japanese swords and their history for those interested in studying Japanese art swords.

The Japanese sword was originally created as a weapon, but Japanese swordsmiths infused blades with qualities of grace and beauty as well as functional superiority.  The intricate patterns on the surface and textures formed by their highly developed forging and tempering techniques were used only in Japan.  In the past, the Japanese regarded swords as spiritual symbols of the samurai, temples, and shrines.  Today, Japanese people view swords as cultural art objects made of steel.

The variety in the appearances of swords is closely related to historical events.  Textures, contours, and tempering designs are characteristic of a particular school (Den 伝) of swordsmiths.  This series of lectures discusses the history of each period and then talks about the swordsmith schools active in a particular province at that time.  Therefore, each section starts with the history of that period.   It is necessary to discuss the history to understand the flow of events that shaped the design and style of swords.

Since the subject matter spans many centuries, I will focus more on “ko-to” (古刀), which appeared during the Heian period (平安時代 794 – 1185) until the end of the Sengoku period (戦国時代 16th cent.).  These lectures will be discussed with my illustrations and photos of swords from my father’s collection* and the Sano Museum Catalogue**.  Also, I referenced the book, “Nihon-to no Okite to Tokucho (日本刀の掟と特徴: The Rules and Characteristics of Japanese Sword)” by Mr. Honami Koson.  This is the book my sword instructor, Mori Sensei, used as a textbook for his class.  Other referenced books are “Token no Mikata (刀剣のみかた: The Way to Look at Swords)” by Mr. Yuichi Hiroi, whom I have known since my internship days at the Japanese Sword Museum, as well as “Nihonto Taikan (日本刀大鑑),” “Nihonto Koza (日本刀講座),” and several others.  Detailed information about these reference books can be found in the bibliography.

 Biography

I was born and raised in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan.  Later, we moved to Kamakura during my late teens.  Currently, I live in Los Angeles.  I graduated from Meiji University with a bachelor’s degree in literature and a curatorship license.  The required internship for the curator license was completed at the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (日本美術刀剣保存協会: The Japanese Sword Museum, often referred to as NBTHK) in Tokyo.  I also graduated from California State University, Northridge, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics.

My father owned a manufacturing company that dealt with metal. As a hobby, he collected Japanese swords and other types of Japanese art objects. He was one of the administrators of the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai. He has long since passed away. 

One of my father’s friends, Mori sensei, who was also the main administrator of the organization, held a Japanese sword study group at his house near mine.       

I joined the study group.   Mori sensei’s class was rare and valuable because he was able to bring in top-quality swords for study materials because of his position at the museum.  The swords we studied were high-quality museum swords, including juyo bunkazai (important cultural properties) and juyo-bijutsuhin (important art objects).  I don’t know how he managed it, but he even brought a national treasure sword.  Note that things were somewhat different over 50 years ago.  Those were the kinds of swords people could only see behind glass display cases. 

I also studied swords with my father, who kept many swords in our house.  Some photos of his swords appear throughout this book. 

*My father took photos of his swords; these were his swords at the time the photos were taken.  After his death, they are no longer in our family’s possession.

**Some photos are from the Sano Museum catalogue.  The Sano Museum has granted permission for their use.