Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 65 | Part 2 of --- 29 | Main 7 Area Among Shin-To Sword (part B), Uncategorized

62|Part 2 of — 28 Shin-To Main 7 Region (part B)

This chapter is a detailed part of Chapter 28, Shin-t Main 7 Regions (part B).  Please read Chapter 28 before reading this chapter.  Below are regions 3 and 7.

0-timeline - size 24 Shin-to                           The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section    

29 Map with number 7

3.Musashi (Edo)

We also find many famous swordsmiths in Edo.  They were Yasutsugu (康継), Kotetsu (虎徹), Noda Hankei (野田繁慶), Hojoji Masahiro (法成寺正弘), and their followers.

Two photos below are swordsmiths from Musashi (武蔵: Tokyo).  

                       Yasutsugu  From the Sano Museum Catalogue.  (Permission to use granted)

Characteristics of Yasutusgu (康継) ——Shallow curvature; chu-gissaki (medium kissaki); a wide notare hamon, midare, or o-gunome (occasionally double gunome); traces of Soshu-den and Mino-den; a wood-grain pattern mixed with masame on the shinogi-ji.

 

              Kotetsu (虎徹) from Sano Museum Catalogue, (permission to use granted)

Here is the famous Kotetsu.  His formal name was Nagasone Okisato Nyudo Kotetsu (長曽祢興里入道虎徹).   Kotetsu started making swords after turning 50.  Before that, he was an armor maker.  

The characteristics of Kotetsu ———————— A shallow curvature and wide width, a wide tempered line with nie.  A small irregular hamon surrounds the machi area, transitioning into a wide suguha-like notare in the upper area.  Fine nie, komaru–boshi with a short turn back.  The ji-hada is a fine-grained wood with burl.  Occasionally, o-hada (black core iron shows through) appears in the lower part above the machi area.  The illustration above shows a thick-tempered line with nie, a typical feature of Kotetsu. Once you see it, you will remember it.   The next region is 7 (skip 4, 5, and 6)

 

  1. Satsuma (Kyushu) 

  Miyahara Mondonosho Masakiyo (宮原主水正正清) from Sano Museum Catalogue (permission to use granted).

Miyahara Mondonosho Masakiyo was highly respected by the Shimazu family of Satsuma- han (the Satsuma domain in Kyushu).  Later, he was chosen to travel to Edo to forge swords for Shogun Yoshimune. 

Mondonosho Masakiyo’s characteristics————- Well-balanced sword shape, shallow curvature, and wide and narrow hamon mixed with squarish hamon and pointed hamon as shown in the photo above.  He engraved the Tokugawa family’s Aoi crest (the hollyhock crest) on the nakago.

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 64|Part 2 pf - - - 28 Main 7 Area Among shin-To Sword (part A), Uncategorized

61|Part 2 of — 27 Shin-to Main 7 Regions (part A)

Chapter 61 is a detailed part of Chapter 27, Shinto Main 7 Regions (part A).  Please read Chapter 27 before reading this section. 

0-timeline - size 24 Shin-to                        The red circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

Chapter 27, Shin-to Main 7 Regions (Part A), and Chapter 28, Shin-to Main 7 Regions (Part B), describe an overview of the seven main regions.  This chapter and the next chapter show photos of representative swords from these regions.  They are Yamashiro (山城, in Kyoto), Settsu (摂津, today’s Osaka), Musashi (武蔵, Edo), and Satsuma (薩摩, Kyushu).  However, Echizen (越前), Kaga (加賀), and Hizen (肥前) are omitted.

29 Map with number 7

With ko-to swords, features such as the condition of the hamon, kissaki size, length, and  shape of the nakago, etc., indicate when the sword was made.  During the ko-to period, Bizen swordsmiths produced Bizen-den swords, Yamashiro swordsmiths made Yamashiro-den swords, and Mino swordsmiths made Mino-den swords.  However, during the shin-to period, that is not the case.  The den and the swordsmith’s location often do not match.  For shin-to swords, we study the swordsmiths and swords from the seven main regions along with their characteristics.

Regarding swords made during the ko-to period, if a sword has a wide hamon line with  nie, usually, its ji-hada shows a large wood grain or a large burl grain.  Also, when you see a narrow hamon line, it typically features a fine ji-hada.

However, with shin-to swords, if a sword shows a wide hamon with nie, it often has a small wood grain or small burl grain pattern on ji-hada.  If it has a narrow hamon line, it may have a large wood grain pattern on the ji-hada.  This is a shin-to characteristic.   

Here is an exception: some early Soshu-den swords from the late Kamakura period may show a wide hamon with nie, which has small burls on the ji-hada.  Because of that, whether it is ko-to or shin-to can be confusing.  Even so, other features such as ji-hada or other parts should indicate whether it is shin-to or ko-to.

Yamashiro (山城: Kyoto)

 Horikawa Kunihiro   (堀川国広)   From Sano Museum Catalogue (permission granted)

Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広)

Horikawa Kunihiro was regarded as a master swordsmith among shin-to swordsmiths.  He forged swords in many styles with various characteristics.  The hamon types are o-notare, o-gunome, togari-ba (pointed hamon), chu-suguha with hotsure (frayed look), hiro-suguha with a sunagashi effect, inazuma, and kinsuji.  Kunihiro preferred to shape his swords to resemble an o-suriage (shortened Nanboku-cho style long sword).  Kunihiro‘s blades give a powerful impression.  Kunihiro‘s swords often feature beautiful carvings; designs include dragons, Sanskrit letters, and more.  Because he created swords in many different styles, there is no general characteristic that defines his work other than the hamon mainly being nie.  His ji-hada is finely forged.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

img067.jpg  img068.jpg      Iga-no-Kami Kinnmichi (伊賀守金道)           Dewa Daijyo Kunimichi (出羽大掾国路)        Both Juyo Token (重要刀剣), once my family owned, photos were taken by my father.

Iga-no-Kami Kinmichi ( 伊賀守金道)

The Kinmichi family is called the Mishina group.  Refer to 27 Shinto Main 7 Regions  Part A.   Iga-no-Kami Kinmichi was awarded the Japanese Imperial chrysanthemum crest. 

The characteristics of Kinmichi ——– Wide sword, shallow curvature, an extended kissaki, sakizori (curvature at 1/3 top),  a wide tempered line, kyo-yakidashi (see 27 Shinto Main 7 Regions  A ), hiro-suguha (wide straight hamon), o-notare (large wavy), yahazu-midare, hako-midare (refer to 24 Sengoku Period Tanto).  Mishina-boshi, refer to 27 Shin-to Main 7 Regions A.  Fine wood burl, masame appear in the shinogi-ji area.   

Dewa Daijo Kunimichi (出羽大掾国路)                                                                                 

Dewa Daijo Kunimichi was the top student of Horikawa Kunihiro.  The right photo above.  Like Kunihiro, the sword resembles a shortened Nanboku-cho sword.  Shallow curvature, a wide body, a somewhat elongated kissaki, and fukura-kareru (less arch in fukura).  Wide tempered lines, large gunome, nie with sunagashi, or inazuma shows.  Double gunome (two gunome side by side) appears.  Fine ji-hada.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

  1. Settu (摂津) Osaka (大阪 )

Settu (Osaka) is home to many famous swordsmiths.  They are Kawachi-no-Kami Kunisuke (河内守国助), Tsuda Echizen-no-Kami Sukehiro (津田越前守助広), Inoue Shinkai (井上真改), and Ikkanshi Tadatsuna (一竿子忠綱), among others.                          The main characteristic of the Settsu (Osaka) sword ——– The surface is beautiful and fine, almost like a solid surface with no pattern or design.  The two photos below are of the Settsu sword.

              Ikkanshi Tadatsuna from the Sano Museum Catalogue.  Permission granted to use.

Ikkanshi Tadatsuna (一竿子忠綱)

Ikkanshi Tadatsuna was famous for his carvings.  His father was also a well-known swordsmith, Omi-no-Kami Tadatsuna (近江守忠綱).  Consequently, he was known as Awataguchi Omi-no-Kami Fujiwara Tadatsuna (粟田口近江守藤原忠綱), as shown in the nakago photo above.     

The characteristics of Ikkanshi Tadatsuna ——-A longer kissaki and a wide-tempered line with nie.  The Osaka yakidashi (transition between the suguha above machi and midare is smooth.  Refer to 27 Shin-to Sword – Main 7 Regions (Part A) for details on Osaka yakidashi.  O-notare with gunome, komaru-boshi with a turn back, and very fine ji-hada with almost no pattern on the surface.

                        Inoue Shinkai (井上真改) from “Nippon-to Art Swords of Japan” The Walter A. Compton Collection

Inoue Shinkai (井上真改)

Inoue Shinkai was the second generation of Izumi-no-Kami Kunisada (和泉守国貞), who was a student of Kunihiro.                                                                                                  The characteristic of Inoue Shinkai’s swords —————- Osaka yakidashi, the tempered line gradually widens toward the top.  O-notare and deep nie.  Very fine ji-hada with almost no surface design.

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 29| Main Seven Area of Shinto Sword (part2), Uncategorized

28|Shin-to Sword — Main Seven Regions (part B 主要７刀匠地)

 
 
0-timeline - size 24 Shin-to
 The red circle indicates the subject of this chapter

64Map with number with 8

3．Musashi ( 武蔵 ) in Edo ( 江戸 )

The katana and wakizashi made in the Musashi area have a shallow sori (curvature).  Often, the width of the blade’s upper part is narrow.  Usually, the hamon begins with a slight irregular pattern, then gradually shifts to a larger irregular pattern, and a few inches below the yokote line, it becomes a small irregular pattern again.  The boshi is usually a komaru-boshi.  The ji-hada may be rough.  Masame-hada shows on shinogi-ji.

Well-known swordsmiths in Musashi ———————————-Noda Hannkei (野田繁慶)                                                      Nagasone Okisato Nyudo Kotetsu (長曽根興里入道虎徹)

Nagasone Okisato Nyudo Kotetsu                        Noda Hankei (野田繫慶)                                   (長曽根興里入道虎徹)                                   from Compton’s collection “Nippon-to”    Once, my family sword                                                                                                               

4. Echizen ( 越前 ) and 5. Kaga (加賀 )

Many swordsmiths from the Mino (美濃) area moved to the Echizen and Kaga areas (#4  & #5 on the map above).  Therefore, swords made in these areas are called Echizen-seki and Kaga-seki.  Refer to Chapter 23 Sengoku Period (戦国) Sword for Mino-den.             The style of Echizen Yasutsugu (越前康継) is similar to that of Mino-den.

Well-known swordsmith in Echizen ————————-—Echizen Yasutsugu (越前康継 )

6. Hizen (肥前)

Both the katana and wakizashi from Hizen have well-balanced shapes.  The Hizen region tends to produce swords with a chu-suguha-hotsure (a medium-width straight hamon resembling frayed fabric) with fine nie (沸).  The boshi has a clean, regular line with a uniform width tempered line, as shown in the illustration below.  If you see a shin-to sword that has a chu-suguha hamon and a boshi that looks like the one below, it is often made by Hizen Tadayoshi (肥前忠吉).  Very fine Ji-hada (surface), sometimes called nukame-hada.

29 Hizen Tadayoshi Boshi

Well-known swordsmith in Hizen ——————————— Hizen Tadayoshi ( 肥前忠吉)

  1. Satsuma (薩摩 )

The swords made in Satsuma appear solid for both katana and wakizashi.  The kissaki (the top pointed area) is slightly stretched.  Yakidashi (a few inches above the machi ) shows a small, irregular hamon.  The hamon is o-midare with coarse nie called ara-nie. The ara-nie forms togari-ba (a pointed pattern; see the drawing below).  One of the characteristics of this region.

The region is well known for its Satsuma-nie.  That is, the ara-nie around the hamon continues and blends into the ji-hada area.  Therefore, the border between ha-nie and ji-nie is unclear.  Inside the hamon, it sometimes shows a thick line shaped like lightning.  This line is called Satsuma-no-imozuru (sweet potato vine), and is less desirable than inazume and kinsiji.  This is the most prominent feature of the Satsuma sword.  Boshi has a narrow-tempered line with a small irregular pattern.  This is called satsuma-boshi.  On the ji-hada surface, chikei (a long, dark line) appears.  This is called Satsuma-gane (薩摩金).

29 Satsuma Togari-ba

Well-known swordsmiths in Satsuma ——————  Izunokami Masafusa (伊豆守正房)                                                                                                 Ichinohira Yasuyo (一平安代)                                                                                       Mondonosho Masakiyo (主水正正清)