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 12| Ikubi Kissaki, Uncategorized

11| Ikubi Kissaki (猪首切先)

 
0-timeline - size 24 Middle Kamakura
 
The circle indicates the time we discuss in this chapter.

Through the experience of the Jokyu-no-ran war (Chapter 10), the design of the swords shifted to a wider, sturdier, and more impressive style.  The swords made around this time are called “ikubi-kissaki. “  Ikubi means a wild boar’s neck.  The kissaki area of ikubi-kissaki-style swords resembles a boar’s neck, with a somewhat stout appearance.

The middle Kamakura period was the golden age of Japanese sword-making.  Many top swordsmiths created exceptional swords during this time.  Experts agree that there are no mediocre swords among Ikubi-kissaki swords.

IkubiKissakiSword  12 Ikubi Kissaki sword style

SUGATA (shape) —————— Originally 3 feet or longer, these blades were often shortened in later years.  Wide width.  Thick kasane (thick body) with hamaguri-ha, meaning the sword’s cross-section is shaped like a clam.  The difference in width between the near yokote line and the machi is minimal.  The shinogi is high and narrow.  The cross-section of an Ikubi-kissaki sword is shown below. 

12　蛤刃と鎬

KISSAKI  ————- Ikubi-kissaki.  Ikubi means the neck of a wild boar.  It is thick, short, and stout in appearance.  Kissaki is short and wide at the yokote line.  The illustration below shows an exaggerated image of an Ikubi-kissaki.

12 Ikubi Kissak drawing

Hamon (刃文) —— Kawazuko-choji (tadpole-head shape pattern). O-choji (large clove-shape pattern), ko-choji (small clove-shape), a mixture of o-choji and ko-choji, or suguha-choji.  Suguha-choji features a straight line combined with a choji (clove-shape) pattern.  

12 Hamon Kawazuko-choji                     O-choji                          Ko-choji                  Suguha-choji     (tadpole head)                   (large clove)                (small clove)      (straight and clove)

Boshi (鋩子) ——Yakizume: the hamon ends almost at the tip of the kissaki, with no return. Sansaku Boshi: the hamon narrows at the yokote line, created by Nagamitsu (長光), Kagemitsu (景光), and Sanenaga (真長).  See below for Yakizume and Sansaku Boshi.                           

                                                                 

12 Yakizume

   Yakizume       11 Sansaku Boshi（三作Sansaku-boshi

Ikubi Kissaki Sword Smiths

Fukuoka Ichimonji Group (福岡一文字) —————Fukuoka Ichimonji Norimune (則宗) Kamakura Ichimonji Group(鎌倉一文字) ———— Kamakura Ichimonji Sukezane (助真) Soshu Bizen Kunimune Group(相州備前国宗)——– Soshu Bizen Kunimune (国宗)Bizen Osafune Group(長船)——————Bizen Osafune Mitutada(長船光忠) Nagamitsu(長光)   Ugai Group————————————————————————- Ugai Unji (鵜飼雲次)

     Osafune Nagamitsu(長船長光)    From Sano Museum Catalogue (permission granted)   

     Osafune Mitsutada(長船光忠)                          Osafune Mitsutada(長船光忠)                   

 Once my family sword.  My father did the calligraphy and took these pictures for himself. 

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 10 |Middle Kamakura Period ---Bizen School, Uncategorized

9 | Middle Kamakura Period: Bizen Den (鎌倉中期備前伝)

0-timeline - size 24 Middle Kamakura
The circle indicates the time we discuss in this section 

Many swordsmiths worked in the Bizen (備前) school during the early Kamakura period.  However, their sword style is generally somewhat similar to the Yamashiro style.  Therefore, they are called Ko-bizen (古備前), meaning old Bizen.

The true Bizen school style appeared during the Middle Kamakura period.  Bizen Province had many advantages for producing great swords.  The area produced high-quality iron and abundant firewood.  Also, its location was conveniently located for people to travel from different regions.  As a result, many swordsmiths gathered there and produced large quantities of swords.  Due to competition among these smiths, the quality of Bizen swords is generally higher than that of other schools.  Therefore, it is often difficult to appraise Bizen swords because of the many subtle differences among the different swordsmiths.

The following three features are the most distinctive characteristics of the Bizen school.  

1.   Nioi-base tempered line.  The Nioi-base tempered line has finer dots than the Nie-base.   These dots are so small that they almost appear as a line. Technically, the tempering processes of these two are identical.  See the illustration below.                        2.   Ji-hada (surface of the body) appears soft.                                                                  3.  Reflection (utsuri) appears on the surface.

10 Nie & Nioi

Sugata (shape) —The length is approximately 33 inches ± a few inches. The blade is slightly wide and appears sturdy. The curvature of the blade is koshizori (腰反), meaning the deepest curve is at the lower part.  The body has an average thickness, and the kissaki is small.

 10 Middle Kamakura ---備前刀姿

Horimono (engraving) ——Engravings are rare.  The tip of the hi extends all the way to ko-shinogi, filling the entire area.

8 Hi

Nakago ——– Long and thin with a curve. The end of the nakago is rounded and resembles the bottom of a chestnut (kuri).  This shape is called kurijiri.   Refer to the illustration of the sword above.

Hamon (tempered area pattern)—— Nioi base. The tempered area is wide and consistent width.  The size of the midare (irregular wavy tempered pattern) is uniform.

Boshi ——– The same tempered pattern continues upward to the boshi area, and it often shows choji- midare (clove-shaped wavy pattern) or yakizume.

10 Boshi --- Bizen

Ji-hada ———— Fine and well forged.  The steel appears soft.  On the steel surface,  small and large wood-grain patterns are mixed.  Chikei (condensation of nie) and utsuri (cloud-like reflection) appear.

Bizen School Sword Smiths during Middle Kamakura Period

  • Fukuoka Ichimonji (福岡一文字) group ————-Norimune (則宗)  Sukemune (助宗) 
  • Yoshioka Ichimonji (吉岡一文字) group ——–Sukeyoshi (助吉) Sukemitsu (助光)        
  • Sho-chu Ichimonji (正中一文字) group —————Yoshiuji (吉氏)   Yoshimori (吉守)     
  • Osafune (長船) group ———–Mitsutada (光忠)  Nagamitsu (長光) Kagemitsu (景光)   
  • Hatakeda(畠田) group ————————————-Moriie (守家)  Sanemori (真守)  
  • Ugai (鵜飼) group ————————————————- Unsho (雲生) Unji (雲次)

              9 Middle Kamakura Bizen Fukuoka ichimonji 

Fukuoka Ichimonji (一文字) from “Nippon-to Art Swords of Japan”                                     The Walter A. Compton Collection

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 Uncategorized

5 |Heian Period Swords 　(平安時代太刀)

0-timeline - size 24 Heian

                       
                                      The circle indicates the time we discuss in this section

The Heian period is when the sword shape changed to the current curved form.  Before that, swords were straight.  It is widely accepted that the study of Japanese swords begins in the Heian period.   Swords made before the Heian period are considered archaeological artifacts.  The main reason is that sword-making techniques improved significantly after the start of the Heian period.

The elegant and graceful lifestyle of Heian culture is reflected in the style of swords.  A group of swordsmiths in the Kyoto region developed a specific sword style called Yamashiro-den (Yamashiro School).  The shape of their swords exhibits a graceful line.  The most famous sword of this period is Sanjo-Munechika (三条宗近 page 20), a national treasure today.  The Yamashiro-den represents the swords of the Heian period.                                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                 

                                                                                                      6a Heian period sword style

General Heian period sword style

The shape —————The length of a sword is about 30 inches ± a few inches.  It has an elegant, graceful shape, with a narrow blade and a small kissaki (小切先).  The curvature is deep.  This style is called Kyo-zori (京反り) or Torii-zori (鳥居ぞり).  In the Kyo-zori style, the deepest part of the curvature is near the middle of the blade.  The lower part of the sword flares out, creating an A-line shape similar to the lower part of the Eiffel Tower.  This flared shape is called funbari （踏ん張り).                                                                      

6b A line bottom

Hamon(刃文)———- Hamon is the line formed during the process of tempering.  The hamon on Heian period swords is narrow and usually suguha (直刃).  Suguha means a straight line.  The hamon is also Nie-based.  Nie(沸) are tiny particles in the hamon.   As shown below, if you look closely, you can see fine sand-like particles within the hamon line.

6 Straigh tempered line(Suguha)

10 Nie & Nioi

Ji-hada (地肌) ——–Fine wood-grained pattern.  The location of ji-hada (or ji-tetsu) is between the hamon and shinogi (see Chapter 3 |Names of Parts).

Nakago (中心)——– The nakago is the hilt area.  Sword makers inscribed their names there. During the Heian period, the nakago was often shaped like a kijimomo (雉腿), meaning a pheasant’s thigh.

6 Kijimomo-nakago

Hi and engrave ———- Hi (樋) means an engraved straight line.  Hi and other engraved designs were rare during the Heian period.  These became more common later on.

Kissaki (切先) ———– The shape of kissaki on a Heian sword is ko-gissaki, meaning small kissaki. The hamon line at the kissaki is called boshi.  During this period, the type of boshi design is called komaru, meaning small, round, and wrapping around the tip.

Names of the Heian period swordsmiths

  • Yamashiro School——–  Sanjo Munechika(三条宗近) Sanjo Yoshiie(三条吉家）                                                 Gojo Kanenaga(五条兼長) Gojo Kuninaga (五条国永)
  • Yamato School ————-Senju-in (千手院)
  • Bizen School ————— Bizen Tomonari(備前友成) Bizen Masatsune(備前正恒)                                                  Bizen Kanehira (備前包平)
  • Hoki (伯耆) —————–  Yasutsuna (安綱) Sanemori (真守)
  • Buzen (豊前) ————–   Cho-en (長円) Sinsoku (神息)
  • Satsuma (薩摩) ———— Naminohira (波平)