（Token Bijutsu No.568）
Nihon Koto Shi
(History of Koto)
By Dr. Honma Junji
(21)
(P.22)
A theory that Shogen Nagamitsu is the second generation has been supported by ‘Tensho Bon Mei Zukushi’ and other swordsmith directories since the Muromachi Period and people tend to appreciate his work with his Buddhist name ‘Junkei’ higher than that with ‘Nagamitsu’.
I would like to talk about four tachi with the smith name of ‘Junkei’ here. The hamon of the three tachi is ko-midare in ko-nie-deki and no utsuri is seen on the ji. Their workmanship is totally different from that of ordinary Nagamitsu and at a glance they don’t look like Bizen swords. Amongst them, a tachi owned by Mr. Oyamada shows a distinctive feature of Bizen swords, that is to say, the hamon is choji mixed with gunome in nioi-deki accompanied with ko-nie. All of their mei are done in the same style that is totally different from that of Nagamitsu. Considering everything, I conclude that a smith called ‘Junkei’ is a different smith from Nagamitsu.
(Reference photos and oshigata)
Juyo Bijutsu Hin : Tachi Mei “JUNKEI”
(Owned by the
“JUNKEI”
“JUNKEI”
(P.23)
It is said that Kagemitsu is a son of Nagamitsu and it is confirmed with his extant dated works that he was active between the Enkei and Kenmu Eras. Kagemitsu tempers sugu-ha, kataochi-gunome and fang-shaped gunome-midare but midare-ba based on choji. There are extant works of Sanenaga with dates of the Shoan and Enkei Eras then tempers sugu-ha in tight nioi-deki also tempers choji in smaller pattern on occasions. It is believed that this smith has a close relation with Shogen Nagamitsu. ‘Kokon Mei Zukushi’ and ‘Haya Midashi’ say that 1st Sanenaga was a son of Mitsutada and a younger brother of Nagamitsu, then his two swords with dates of the Bun’ei and Koan are listed in the directories. The directories also say that his swords with the production date after the Shoan Era are the work of the second generation.
(Reference oshigata and photos)
“KAGEMITSU” “BIZEN OSAFUNE JU KAGEMITSU”
“GENKO 22 NEN 2 GATSU HI”
Kokuho : Tachi Mei “BIZEN (NO) KUNI OSAFUNE JU KAGEMITSU”
“GENKYO 2 NEN 5 GASU HI)
(Nicknamed ‘Koryu Kagemitsu’)
(Owned by the
(P.24)
(Reference photos and oshigata)
Juyo Bunka Zai : Tachi Mei “BISHU OSAFUNE KAGEMITSU”
(Nicknamed ‘Obama Kagemitsu’)
“SANENAGA”
“SANENAGA”
“BIZEN (NO) KUNI OSAFUNE JUNIN TAIRA (NO)
SANENAGA TSUKURU”
(P.25)
Succeeding to the workmanship of Kagemitsu, Kanemitsu tempers togari-ba, kataochi-gunome and sugu-ha. He makes normal tachi-sugata and tanto with relatively narrow mi-haba during the Genko, Rekio and Koei Eras. Then he comes to make the so-called ‘Enbun Kanemitsu’ (2nd generation) sugata with wide mi-haba and extended kissaki and tempers hamon based on notare rather than gunome. Yoshimitsu (Gi Yoshimitsu) who is said to be a younger brother of 1st Kanemitsu occasionally demonstrates a workmanship similar to that of Kagemitsu. There is an extant tanto with a date of the Gentoku Era and this Yoshimitsu was the first generation (maybe the elder brother of Kagemitsu or younger brother of Kagemitsu) therefore his extant swords with dates after the Enbun Era are speculated to be the work of the second generation. Mitsutada, Nagamitsu, Kagemitsu and Kanemitsu are placed in the main lineage of the Osafune school. Meanwhile, there is a smith called Nagamoto and he was a student of Nagamitsu. Also there is a smith called Kagemasa who was a close relative of Kagemitsu and demonstrates a close workmanship to that of Kagemitsu. Apart from them, there are smiths called Chikakage, active in the same age as Kagemitsu and signs in a different style from the smiths of the main lineage, and Motoshige who was active in the same age as Kanemitsu or a little later. All smiths described above are generally called Osafune-kaji (Osafune smiths) or Osafune-mono (Osafune swords).
(P.26)
The theory that Nagamoto was a student of Nagamitsu is proved by a few extant tachi that he substituted for Nagamitsu. Amongst them, there is a tachi with long mei that is signed in a slightly different style from usual ones and wholly meets with the own mei of Nagamoto. Incidentally, Sanenaga also substitutes for Nagamitsu. It is widely known that son and students of famous smiths have often substituted for their teachers since old days.
(Reference oshigata and photos)
“NAGAMITSU”
Juyo Bunka Zai : Tachi “NAGAMOTO”
(Owned by the