（Token Bijutsu No.597）

 

Nihon Koto Shi

(History of Koto)”

 

By Dr. Honma Junji

 

 (42)

 

(P.31)

2. Yamato-mono

(Yamato Swords)

 

Smiths of the five major Yamato schools, who were active in the former period, are listed in ‘Mei Zukushi Meikan’ but there are few extant works of them except for those of the Tegai school. No decent swordsmith is seen in the other schools of Yamato Province in this period. Even the smiths of the Tegai school of this period, had lost their school tradition and demonstrated a workmanship that is commonly seen in the Muromachi Period across the country. Extant works of the later generation of Kanenaga are occasionally seen, but their workmanship is totally different from that of their predecessor. That is to say, the hamon is sugu-ha in tight nioi-deki with a few hotsure, boshi turns back in ko-maru, jihada is dense ko-itame-hada combined with a little masame and jigane looks whitish. As a whole, they demonstrate a workmanship that resembles that of Mino-mono of this period. We can, however, trace the Yamato tradition in their nie when they temper sugu-ha and midare-ba based on ko-gunome with sunagashi and hakikake, boshi is yaki-tsume or turns back with short kaeri and hakikake, and jihada is masame or itame-hada combined with masame with ji-nie. Yamato smiths of this period were more skilful in making tanto than katana and Kaneshige and Kanemune, who were active around the Oei Era, are the most skilful smiths amongst them. They make tanto-sugata with thick kasane and a little scarce fukura. Kanemune and Kanekiyo carve peculiar horimono like kurikara and hoko, and there is a tanto by Masanaga with the horimono of bonji inside koshi-bi in relief. These kinds of horimono are hardly ever seen in the works of Yamato smiths before the Muromachi Period.

 

Later generations of Shikkake Norinaga exist in this period and they only maintain their tradition in the shape of their nakago. Their forging skill is far inferior to their predecessors. There are smiths called Arihoshi and Yu-o Arimitsu. Arihoshi only left tanto with mei in katakana characters. His tanto has thick kasane and short ha-watari and the hamon is sugu-ha in tight nioi-deki, which looks like Tosa Yoshimitsu. I have seen a katana with the mei of ‘Yu-o Arimitsu Saku’, which is owned by the Danzan Shrine. It is speculated that this katana is by one of the Yamato smiths from the end of the Muromachi Period. There are also extant works with a mei of ‘Senjuin’ without a smith name. There also existed a school in Mino province called ‘Senjuin’ (Akasaka-Senjuin). It is very difficult to say which Senjuin this smith belongs to. They appear to prefer midare-ba to sugu-ha.

 

(Oshigata)

“KANEKIYO”

 

 “KANETOSHI” ‘

 

“KANESHIGE” “OEI 3 NEN 3 GTASU

 

“NANTO JU KANABO HYOE (NO) JO MASATSUGU”

 

(P.32)

There is an isolated school called ‘Kanabo’ at the end of the Muromachi Period and they lived in Nara. They always add the school name of Kanabo above their smith names like ‘Kanabo Hayato no Sho Masazane’ and ‘Kanabo Hyoe no Jo Masatsugu’. They make stout sugata with wide mi-haba and occasionally o-kissaki, then temper hiro-sugu-ha and o-midare based on gunome differing from traditional Yamato-den of this province. Horimono like Ushiwaka and Benkei in Gojo Bridge is occasionally seen on their blades but does not look particularly refined. They have gained a reputation as master yari makers and it is said that they had a contract with the Hozo Temple for yari.

 

(Oshigata)

Juyo Token : Tanto Mei “KANEZANE”

 

(P.33)

3. Yamashiro-mono

(Yamashiro Swords)

 

There are the Nobukuni, the Heianjo (Nagayoshi and Sanjo Yoshinori) and the Kurama-Seki schools existing in the Muromachi Period. The 3rd generation Rokuro Saemon Kunishige of the Hasebe school, was active in the Oei Era and moved to Settsu Province later. Some say that Hasebe Munenobu was a smith of the Oei Era, but I believe that this smith belongs to the former period inferring from his workmanship.

 

The production date of Nobukuni is seen from the Joji Era followed by the Eitoku, Shitoku, Kakei, Meitoku, Oei and Eikyo Eras as mentioned before. It is difficult to classify each generation precisely. Though, I would like to classify them for the sake of convenience as follows; 1st Nobukuni was a student of Soshu Sadamune, the 2nd generation was active between the end of the Nambokucho Period and the Oei Era, and the 3rd generation between the Oei and Eikyo Eras. Also there are students or brothers of 2nd Nobukuni called Minamoto Saemon no Jo Nobukuni and Shikibu no Jo Nobukuni. It is said that the early smith names of Minamoto Saemon no Jo Nobukuni and Shikibu no Jo Nobukuni are Nobumitsu and Nobusada. A swordsmith directory lists oshigata of Minamoto no Saemon (or Genzaemon) no Jo Nobumitsu with the production date of Shitoku 2 (1385) and Minamoto Saemon no Jo Nobukuni with the production dates from Oei 15 to 34 (1408-1427), Inferring from the production dates, it is possible to say that Nobumitsu is the early smith name of Minamoto no Saemon no Jo Nobukuni. There are oshigata of ‘Shikibu no Jo Nobukuni’ with the production date of Oei 10 (1403), and ‘Nobukuni Ko (son) Nobusada’ with the production date of Oei 12 (1405). Therefore it can be said that Shikibu no Jo Nobukuni and Nobusada are different smiths. I have seen two tanto by Nobusada with mei, but no extant work of Nobumitsu. I will refrain from concluding their lineage and relationship now. Incidentally ‘Gen’ of ‘Genzaemon Nobukuni’ is another reading ‘Minamoto’.

The Nobukuni mentioned above, tempered a kind of gunome-midare in nie-deki and it has a point of similarity to that of Hasebe. In addition, they temper sugu-ha with few hataraki on sun-nobi tanto (tanto with extended ha-watari) then should note be taken for tanto of the Kamakura Period. All of them were skilful engravers of various horimono like bonji, ken, rendai, kuwa-gata, kurikara. These are seen on their swords in a normal way, relief and open-work. There is a katana with the horimono of Jizo (guardian deity of children) by Nobukuni, which is owned by the Itsukushima Shrine. Though, I have never seen horimono of Fudo (the God of Fine) by Nobukuni.

 

(Oshigata)

“HASEBE ROKURO SAEMON KUNISHIGE”

 

“MINAMOTO SHIKIBU (NO) JO NOBUKUNI” “EIKYO 4 NEN 8 GATSU HI”

    

     “MINAMOTO SAEMON (NO) JO NOBUKUNI” “OEI 34 NEN 2 GATSU HI”

 

           “NOBUKUNI”