（Token Bijutsu No.578）

Nihon Koto Shi

(History of Koto)

By Dr. Honma Junji

(28)

(P.28)

26. Ryosai School

There is a school in Chikuzen Province, of which founder is Ryosai and Samonji who already was described before belongs to this school. ‘Kokon Mei Zukushi’ and other old swordsmith directories say that the lineage of this school is “Ryosai – Sairen (or Kuniyoshi) – Jitsua – Sa – Yasuyoshi”. It is said that Nyusai is a younger brother of Ryosai. They say that Nyusai of Aki Province is the same smith as the one of Chikuzen Province. Eventually there is a tachi by him with a date of the Einin Era and an inscription of ‘Aki no Kuni’. The tachi is a good example to prove the above theory. I have seen a tanto in kanmuri-otoshi-zukuri by Ryosai before but there are few extant works of this smith. There are some extant works of Sairen and Jitsua. The former signs like ‘Dangisho Sairen’ and ‘Dangisho Kuniyoshi’ on tachi, and ‘Sairen’ and ‘Kuniyoshi’ on tanto. ‘Kozan Oshigata’ lists an oshigata of a tachi by Sairen with the mei of ‘Chikuzen no Kuni Hakata Dangisho Kipposhi Sairen’ and a date of February in Bunpo 1. Jitsua left tachi with production dates of the Kareki, Genko and Kenmu. Also ‘Kozan Oshigata’ lists an oshigata of his tanto with the mei of ‘Chikuzen no Kuni Ubi Jitsua Saku’.

(Reference photos and oshigata)

Tokubetsu Juyo Token : Tanto Mei “RYOSAI”

“AKI (NO) KUNI NYUSAI EININ 5 NEN URU-U 10GATSU HI” “KUNIYOSHI”

“RYOSAI” “DANGISHO KUNIYOSHI”

(P.29)

Nyusai and Sairen make tachi with narrow saki-haba and tapering sugata in classic style. Jitsua makes a little wider tachi-sugata then forges dense jihada and coarse one combined with running masame-hada, and jigane looks soft. His hamon is tempered on the basis of sugu-ha accompanied with obscured nioi-guchi in old Kyushu style. Nyusai is superior to Jitsua in skill.

(Reference oshigata)

Juyo Token : Tanto Mei “SA REKIO 2 NEN 10 GATSU”

“SAIREN”

“JITSUA”

(P.30)

A son of Jitsua is a master Soshu-den smith Samonji or ‘O Sa’ As I already mentioned about him in the paragraph of Masamune, he demonstrated a totally different workmanship from other Kyushu smiths who persisted in their local tradition. He is superior to his father in skill but he practised the local tradition in his early years then gradually developed a new workmanship of Soshu-den. There are only few extant works of Samonji with production dates therefore it is very difficult to define his precise active age and generation. Though, it is speculated that the first generation was active around the Rekio Era and tempered sugu-ha. It is very rare to see his midare-ba in powerful and bright nie-deki in this stage and his skill had not reached a level of master smith yet.

27. Enju School

It is a commonly accepted theory that the Enju school was founded by Enju Taro who is a grandson of Rai Kuniyuki. He moved from Kyoto to Kikuchi of Higo Province at the end of the Kamakura Period the school had thrived through up to the Nambokucho Period. Kunimura, his younger brothers (Kuniyosi and Kunitoki) and his students (Kuniyasu and Kuninobu) were active in the end of the Kamakura Period also Kunitomo who was active in the Shochu Era. Kunisuke is said to be a son of Kuniyasu but his workmanship looks a little more classical than Kuniyasu’s. Enju smiths mentioned above normally sing in two characters and smiths who were active in the Nambokucho Period add their address to mei like ‘Kikuchi Ju’. Though, Kunitomo exceptionally sings ‘Saemon no Jo Fujiwara no Kunitomo’.

(Reference oshigata)

“KUNIMURA”

“KUNIYOSHI”

“SAEMON (NO) JO FUJIWARA (NO) KUNITOMO”

(P.31)

Considering the workmanships of the smiths described above, there is no doubt that they are related to the Rai school of Yamashiro Province and their works are often mistaken for that of Rai Kunimitsu, that is to say, sugu-ha in ko-nie-deki and dense ko-itame-hada with ji-nie. Though, their jigane is whitish and boshi normally turns back in o-maru. They also temper ko-midare and occasionally midare-ba in large pattern (for tanto). In any case, the hataraki of their hamon are not as active as that of Rai Kunimitsu. In addition, all smiths of the Enju school sign in the same chiselling style, especially the character of ‘Kuni’ in their mei is done in a peculiar style. Though, their chiselling style changes after the Nambokucho Period.

(Reference oshigata)

Juyo Token : Tachi Mei “KUNIMURA”

“KUNIYASU”

“KUNISHIGE”

“KUNISUKE”

(P.32)

Juyo Bijutsu Hin : Tachi Mei “KUNITOKI”