（Token Bijutsu No.594）

 

Nihon Koto Shi

(History of Koto)

 

By Dr. Honma Junji

 

 (40)

 

(P.33)

18. Takada-mono

 

Two master smiths, So Sadahide and Yukihira lived in Bungo Province at the end of the Heian Period. No extant work of Bungo smiths has been confirmed after the two master smiths, up to the end of the Kamakura Period. Entering the Nambokucho Period, there is a smith called Tomoyuki who lived in Takada no Sho and is said to be the founder of the Takada school. The Takada school thrived through up to shinto times. Tomoyuki left tachi and tanto with mei. There is his extant tanto with a production date of the Joji Era.

 

(Reference photos)

Juyo Bijutsu Hin : Tachi Mei “BUNGO SHU TAKADA (NO) SHO JU FUJIWARA (NO) TOMOYUKI”

                            “SHOHEI (NI) NEN 3 GATSU HI”

 

(P.34)

(Reference photos)

Tokubetsu Juyo Token : Tanto Mei “BUNGO SHU JU YUKIMASA”

                                 “KENTOKU 2 NEN 3 GATSU HI”

 

(P.35)

‘Kozan Oshigata’ lists an oshigata of his tanto with a production date of the Kenmu Era. Swordsmith directories confirm works with production dates of the Kenmu and Joji  eras, belong to the first generation of Tomoyuki and works with production dates after the Joji Era, to the second generation. In addition, there is a smith called Tokiyuki who may be a brother or a student of 2nd Tomoyuki and I have seen some tanto by him. He demonstrates a workmanship similar to that of Sa no Yasuyoshi, but a traditional workmanship of Bungo Province, founded by Yukihira. That is to say, he tempers squarish ko-gunome continuously and forges jihada with jifu, but the jigane is not as clear as that of the Sa school.

 

There was a smith called Yukimasa, who does not belong to the Takada school in this province. There is an extant tanto with a production date of the Kentoku Era. The jihada of the tanto is running itame-hada with many chikei and jifu and the hamon is ko-midare with subdued nioi-guchi. A kurikara is carved inside the koshi-bi. The workmanship of the tanto suggest his background is related to Yukihira. Furthermore, I have seen a tanto in kanmuri-otoshi with the mei of ‘Bungo no Kuni Kishin Dayu Yasuyoshi’. It’s old polish prevented me seeing the detail the tanto, but there was a  horimono of kurikara inside the koshi-bi and the hamon was sugu-ha mixed with some ko-midare accompanied by a hazy nioi-guchi. I though it was a work dating between the end of the Kamakura and the Nambokucho Periods.

 

19. Enju and Naminohira Schools

(Succeeding to the previous period)

 

The Enju school of Higo Province thrived continuously in this period and the smith names of Kunimura, Kunitoki, Kunisuke and Kuniyasu, were succeeded. Also smiths called Kunitsuna, Kunikiyo and Kunifusa appeared in this period and they left extant works with production dates. It is very difficult to point out the individual characteristics of each smith from their workmanship. Generally speaking, they are inferior to their predecessors in skill. They forge clear jigane and dense ko-itame-hada or whitish jigane and jihada combined with conspicuous masame, and temper sugu-ha in relatively tight nioi-guchi, hotsure are sometimes seen inside the hamon. Smiths of the Enju school used only the eras of the Southern Court (Nan-cho) in their production dates. Except for a few smiths, Osafune and Aoe smiths used eras of the Northern Court (Hoku-cho). Smiths of Nagato, Chikuzen and Bungo Provinces used eras of both courts.

 

(Reference Oshigata)

      “BUNGO SHU JU YUKIMASA”  “KENTOKU 2 NEN 3 GATSU HI”

 

            “BUNGO SHU TAKADA (NO) SHO FUJIWARA (NO) TOKIYUKI”

            “SHOHEI (  ) NEN 3 GATSU HI”

 

                  “HOSHU FUJIWARA (NO) TOMOYUKI”

 

“HISHU KIKUCHI JU KUNITSUNA”  “SHOHEI 2 NEN 2 GATSU HI”

 

(P.36)

The name of Yukiyasu was succeeded from the previous period as the head of the Naminohira school. Many smiths of the school used a Chinese character of ‘Yasu’ in their smith names, for instance, Yasutsugu, Yasutoshi and Yasuyuki, etc. They maintained their traditional workmanship, but their forging skill was on the wane. Exceptionally, Tomoyasu left a fine tanto with powerful jigane and notare-midare in ko-nie-deki.

 

(Reference oshigata)

Tanto : Mei “HISHU KIKUCHI JU KUNITSUNA” “SHOHEI 2 NEN 2 GATSU HI”