Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 67|Part 2 of - - -31|Shin-Shin-To (Bakumatsu Period Sword) 1781-1867, Uncategorized

64| Part 2 of –30 Shin Shin-To : Bakumatsu sword (新々刀)

This Chapter is a detailed Chapter of the 30|Bakumatsu Period, Shin Shin-to.  Please read Chapter 30 before reading this chapter.

0-timeline - size 24 Bakumatsu

                  The circle Above indicates the time we discuss in this chapter.

Swords made between the Tennmei era (天明 1781) and the end of the Keio era (慶應) are called shin shin-to.  Please refer to the timeline above.  This period was when Japan was moving toward the Meiji Restoration, known as the Bakumatsu era.  During this time, sword-making became active again.  Below are the well-known swordsmiths from the main areas.

Musashi no Kuni  (武蔵の国: Tokyo today)                                                       

Suishinshi Masahide (水心子正秀) ——— When Suishinshi Masahide made Yamashiro-den style swords, their shapes resembled those of ko-to period swords; funbari, an elegant shape; chu-suguha (medium straight); komaru-boshi, with fine wood grain. When he forged in the Bizen style, he made a Koshi-zori shape, similar to a ko-to made by Bizen Osafune.  Nioi with ko-choji, and katai-ha (refer to  30| Bakumatsu Period Sword 新々刀).  In my old sword textbook, I noted that  I saw Suishinshi in November 1970 and October 1971.

Taikei Naotane (大慶直胤) ————————–Although Taikei Naotane was part of the Suishinshi group, he was one of the top swordsmiths.  He had an exceptional ability to forge a wide range of sword styles beautifully.  When he made a Bizen-den style, it resembled Nagamitsu from the Ko-to era, with nioi.  Also, he did sakasa-choji as Katayama Ichimonji had done.  Katai-ha appears.  The notes in my old textbook indicate I saw Naotane in August 1971.

Minamoto no Kiyomaro (源清麿) ————————– Kiyomaro wanted to join the Meiji Restoration movement as a samurai; however, his guardian recognized Kiyomaro’s talent as a master swordsmith and helped him become one.  It is said that because Kiyomaro had a drinking problem, he was not very eager to make swords.  At age 42, he committed seppuku.  Kiyomaro, who lived in Yotsuya (now part of Shinjuku, Tokyo), was called Yotsuya Masamune because he was as good as Masamune.  His swords featured wide-width, shallow sori, stretched kissaki, and fukura-kereru.  The boshi is komaru-boshi.  Fine wood grain ji-gane.

Settsu no Kuni   ( 摂津の国:  Osaka today)

Gassan Sadakazu (月山貞一) ———- Gassan excelled in the Soshu-den and Bizen-den styles, but he was capable of making in any style.  He was as much a genius as Taikei Naotane.  You must pay close attention to notice a sword made by Gassan from genuine ko-to.  He also had remarkable carving skills.  His hirazukuri-kowakizashi, forged in the Soshu-den style, looks just like a Masamune or a Yukimitsu.  He forged in the Yamashiro-den style, with Takenoko-zori, hoso-suguha, or chu-suguha in nie.  Additionally, he forged the Yamato-den style with masame-hada.

 

 

Yurie Endo 遠藤由利江 58｜Part 2 of ----- 22| Muromachi Period Sword (室町時代), Uncategorized

55 |Part 2 of —–21 Muromachi Period Sword (室町時代刀)

Chapter 55 is a detailed section of Chapter 21, Muromachi Period Sword.  Please read Chapter 21 before reading this part.

57 Muromach-timeline size 22

                         The circle above indicates the time we discuss in this section

After the Muromachi period, swords shifted to katana(刀) from tachi (太刀), as described in Chapter 21, Muromachi Period Sword.  Refer to Chapter 21, Muromachi Period Sword.  By the end of the Nanboku-cho period, sword lengths had shortened to about 2 feet ± a few inches.  The 3-to-5-foot-long swords seen during the Nanboku-cho period were no longer produced.  This change occurred because, during the Nanboku-cho period, warriors mainly fought on horseback, but after the Muromachi period, infantry combat became more common.

Oei Bizen (応永備前)                                                                                                              The pronunciation of Oei is “O” as in “Oh” and “ei” as in “A” from ABC.  The Muromachi period was a declining time for sword-making.  The swords made during the early Muromachi period in the Bizen area is known as Oei Bizen.  Osafune Morimitsu (長船盛光), Osafune Yasumitsu (長船康光), and Osafune Moromitsu (長船師光) were the main Oei Bizen swordsmiths.  Soshu Hiromasa (相州広正) and Yamashiro Nobukuni (山城信國) were also similar to the Oei Bizen style.  Please refer to Chapter 21, Muromachi Period Sword, for details on the  Muromachi sword shape, Hamon, Boshi, and Ji-hada.

                       Bishu Osafune Moromitsu (備州長船師光)   from Sano Museum Catalogue ((permission granted)

The Osafune Moromitsu sword shown above measures 2 feet 5 inches in length and has a medium kissaki.  Its hamon has a small wave-like pattern with continuous gunome (a lined half-circle pattern).  The boshi area shows irregular waviness with a slightly pointed tip.  Very faint bo-utsuri (a soft shadow shaped like a strip of wood) appears on ji-hada.  Bo-utsuri is a distinctive feature among all the Oei Bizen. 

Before the Muromachi period, many swordsmith groups operated in the Bizen region. However, by the Muromachi period, Osafune (長船) was the only remaining group.

Osafune (長船) is the name of a region, but it became the surname of swordsmiths during the Muromachi period.  Two other well-known swordsmiths from Oei Bizen are Osafune Morimitsu (盛光) and Osafune Yasumitsu (康光).  The hamon created by Morimitsu and Yasumitsu is more detailed than that of the sword in the photo above.  Chapter 21, Muromachi period swords, shows the hamon of Morimitsu and Yasumitsu and describes the typical characteristics of swords from the Muromachi period.

                                                 Hirazukuri Ko-Wakizashi Tanto

58 Hirazukuri Ko-Wakizashi Tanto

Hirazukuri Ko-Wakizashi Tanto Shape                                                                       

Hirazukuri ko-wakizashi tanto was a popular style during the early Muromachi period. Swordsmiths from various regions produced tantos similar to the one shown above. However, most of these types were made by Oei Bizen swordsmiths.

The characteristics of the Hirazukuri ko-wakizashi tanto ————-Typically about one foot and 1 or 2 inches long.  No yokote line, no shinogi, and no sori (meaning no curvature, straight back).  Average thickness.  Narrow width.  Gyo-no-mune (refer to Chapter 12, Middle Kamakura Period Tanto).

13 Mune drawing

Hirazukuri Ko-wakizashi tanto often shows many engravings.  Hi with soe-hi (double lines, wide and narrow side by side), Tokko-tsuki-ken, Tsume-tsuki-ken, Bonji, and more.

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9 Hi, Suken, Bonji20 Tokko, tume Ken  58 tsumetukiken and Hi

*drawings from “Nihonto no Okite to Tokucho” by Honami Koson

 

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)