（Token Bijutsu No.560）

Nihon Koto Shi

(History of Koto)

By Dr. Honma Junji

(14)

(P.31)

Samonji comes from Chikuzen Province and it is said that he is a son of Jitsua and a grandson of Sairen Kuniyoshi. It is also said that his smith name ‘Sa’ is an abbreviation of ‘Saemon Saburo’. His father and grandfather were conservative smiths who were subjected to an old tradition of Kyushu smiths. Though, Samonji created a quite new and refined workmanship with ko-notare in nie-deki accompanied with bright nioi-guchi and very clear jigane.

A certain influence of Masamune is seen in his workmanship but he does not demonstrate pure Soshu-den. There are extant tachi of Jitsua with dates of the Kareki, Genko and Kenmu, tanto of Samonji with dates of the Ryakuo Era, and tanto of his student Yukihiro with a date of the Kan’o Eara. Samonji makes smaller tanto like those by Yamashiro smiths but they have slight sori that indicates his active age. There is only one tachi by Samonji with a signature, so-called ‘Kosetsu Samonji’. Generally speaking, his tanto is superior to tachi in quality.

(Reference photos and oshigata)

Juyo Bunka Zai : Tanto “SA” “CHIKUSHU Ju”

“SA”

“CHIKUSHU JU”

“SA”

“RYAKUO 2 NEN 10 GATSU”

“CHIKUSHU JU SA”

(P.32)

Kaneuji lived in Shizu of Mino Province and is also called just ‘Shizu’ and the smith name had been succeeded to for several generations. It is said that 1^st Kaneuji was a smith belongs to the Tegai school of Yamato and originally lived in Yamato Province. Then he used the same character ‘Kane’ as that of Tegai Kanenaga in his early smith name and then changed the first character of his smith name after he moved to Mino Province. There is an extant work of early Kaneuji of Yamato Province (Yamato Shizu) with a date of the Joji Era but no extant work of Kaneuji of Mino Province. The workmanship of Kaneuji of Mino Province looks more classic than that of Kaneuji of Yamato Province and they are supposed to be different smiths. There are mumei tanto with ubu-nakago and o-suriage katana attributed to Shizu Kaneuji and made at the beginning of the Nambokucho Period or no later than that. Meanwhile, there is an extant work of Kanetsugu who is a student of Kaneuji and it has a date of the Kan’o. Thus it is speculated that Kaneuji had been active in the same age as that of Samonji. Kaneuji tempers hamon to which he succeeded Masamune most faithfully amongst Masamune Juttetsu. There are many smiths who moved from Yamato to Mino Provinces in addition to Kaneuji and the technical exchange between Yamato and Mino smiths continued through koto times.

(Reference oshigata and photos)

“KANEUJI”

“KANEUJI”

“KANEUJI”

Juyo Bunka Zai : Tanto Mei “KANEUJI”

(Owned by the NBTHK)

(P.33)

It is said that Kinju who lived in Mino Province comes from Echizen Province and is the frontrunner of Seki smiths and a senior smith of Kaneuji. There are some works of Kinju that show a glimpse of Soshu-den in the workmanship. The tanto of which an oshigata is introduced here, is the earliest work of Kinju (early Nambokucho Period)

(Reference photos and oshigata)

Juyo Bunka Zai : Tachi Mei “NORISHIGE) “KINJU”

(P.34)

Norishige lived in Gofuku-go of Etchu Province and left relatively many extant works with signature and dates and some of them are listed in oshigata books by Umetada, Kotoku and others. Inferring from the dates of the extant works, his active age is between the Enkei and Kareki (1308 – 1328) and corresponds to that of Masamune more or less. His tanto has short ha-watari, unique takenoko-zori (conspicuous uchi-zori) also tachi have a normal mi-haba and chu-kissaki. His jihada is visible itame-hada with abundant ji-nie and chikei is most emphasised in it (more than Masamune). He tempers a kind of hitatsura, which is different from that of Soshu smiths from the Nambokucho to the Muromachi Period, and ko-midare in thick nie-deki then lots of kinsuji vividly work inside the hamon. He certainly employs the same forging method as that of Masamune then the same hataraki of nie is recognised too. No hitatsura is seen in the hamon of Masamune and he rarely tempers ko-midare. Norishige tempers ko-midare taking Ko-Bizen and Ko-Hoki smiths as his model. He was a very skilful smith but a little inferior to Masamune in forging skill and his workmanship looks more classical.

As described above, the relation between Masamune and Norishige is a subject that has to be reconsidered. One of the sword directories written in the Muromachi Period says that Masamune is a fellow apprentice of Norishige and it seems to me that this theory is very convincing. In that case, “Who is their teacher, Yukimitsu or Shintogo Kunimitsu?” ‘Kiami Bon’ with the signature of Hon’ami Kotoku says that Norishige is a student of Shintogo Koshin, namely Shintogo Kunimitsu. Incidentally, there is a tanto with the signature of ‘Sagami no Kuni Junin Norishige’ in the old Imperial collection also his tanto with the same inscription and a date of the Shochu Era is listed in ‘Kosei Kokon Kaji Haya-midashi’. I am doubtful of the signature of the tanto in the old Imperial collection.

(Reference oshigata and photos)

“NORISHIGE”

“NORISHIGE”

“NORISHIGE”

Juyo Bunka Zai : Tanto Mei “RAI KUNIMITSU”

(Meibutsu ‘Shiokawa Rai’)

(P.35)

It is said that Rai Kunitsugu was a son of Rai Kunimitsu and apprenticed himself to Masamune. He has been well known as ‘Kamakura Rai’ since old days. There are extant works with dates of the Kareki, Gentoku and Shogyo Eras then he could be added to the students of Masamune considering his active age but this is not inevitable from the viewpoint of his workmanship. The Rai school belongs to Yamashiro smiths and it reminds us of slender sugata and sugu-ha. Rai Kunitsugu makes sugata with wide mi-haba, wide midare-ba based on ko-notare in thick nie-deki. However, we should not conclude that Rai Kunitsugu was a student of Masamune simply by taking into account the above workmanship. In fact, Rai Kunimitsu of the same school makes sugata with wide mi-haba and tempers such midare-ba in thick nie-deki as well.