（Token Bijutsu No.606）

Nihon Koto Shi

(History of Koto)”

By Dr. Honma Junji

(49)

(P.21)

No.13 Other Schools of San-in District

Several schools like the Kokaji school of Inaba Province, the Doei school of Izumo Province and the Naotsuna school of Iwami Province were active in the San-in District during the Muromachi Period, succeeding to their traditions of the previous period. The Koga school of Hoki Province and the Chutei school of Izumo schools appeared in this period for the first time. Then each school produced skilful smiths during this period.

In Inaba Province, the smith name of Kagenaga had been inherited since the end of the Kamakura Period. Kagenaga favoured to temper hoso-sugu-ha in tradition, but there is an extant katana by him with a production date of the Oei era and he tempered o-midare mixed with notare and gunome. This is an example of the phenomenon that occurred in the Muromachi Period, that is to say, they occasionally demonstrated exceptional workmanship apart from their normal traditions. There are few extant works of Kagenaga with mei, but it is speculated that there were a few generations inferring from the chiselling style of his mei. Also there are a few extant tanto by Kagenaga with sugu-ha. There are few extant works by other smiths of this school, but there is an extant katana with the mei of ‘Inshu Yatsuka Gun Yamada Mura Ju Tarozaemon no Jo Yukikage’ and a production date of the Choroku Era. The hamon of this katana is sugu-ha mixed with ko-notare and a few hataraki in a relatively tight nioi-guchi. ‘Koto Mei Zukushi’ says that Yukikage was a son of the 2^nd Kagenaga. If so, this katana is a work of the later generation. In addition, a smith called Kanesaki moved into this province from Seki of Mino Province at the end of the Muromachi Period after which the smith name was succeeded up to the Edo Period for several generations.

As described before, the detail of Doei of Izumo Province has not been known yet. ‘Koto Mei Zukushi’ says that Naganori (Osafune Naganori) of the Fukuoka-Ichimonji school of Bizen Province, moved to this province at the end of the Kamakura Period and then changed his smith name to Doei after he became a monk. Meanwhile, Yoshinori, Kiyonori and Naganori of the Yoshii school, moved into this Naganori province from Bizen Province in the Muromachi Period. I would say that swords by the smiths of the Yoshii school, who settled in this province have been called ‘Yoshi’ since the end of the Muromachi Period. Inferring from an extant work of 2^nd Naganori, the smith name of Doei appears to have been used by the second generation of Naganori after he became a monk. He tempers a unique hamon of gunome in a regular pattern. It seems to me that there are two lineages of the Yoshii school (Kagenori and Naganori). Yoshinori, Kiyonori and Naganori who belong to the lineage of Naganori., who were also called ‘Doei’ collectively. Doei smiths moved to Izumo later and they were called ‘Izumo Doei’. Meanwhile, smiths of the Yoshii school, who stayed in Bizen, were called ‘Bizen Doei’. The smith name of ‘Bizen Doei’ is not used today but ‘Kanto Hiden Sho’ says “Yoshii-mono is also called ‘Bizen Doei’ and they are the same smiths as Izumo Doei.” In those days, there was a common understanding that Yoshii-mono, Bizen Doei and Unshu (Izumo) Doei were the same smiths. There is a recent theory that Doei is a different school from Yoshii. Kiyomori was the founder of the Doei school and it includes Norisada and Sanesada (there is no extant work of these two smiths). The latter theory has to be proved by their extant works. Therefore, I would take the former theory to explain Doei smiths. There are swords by Doei smiths without the inscription of ‘Doei’ and ‘Unshu Ju’. The lineages of these smiths have yet to be studied.

(Oshigata)

“TAMONTEN TAROZAEMON (NO) JO YUKIKAGE”

“CHOROKU 2 NEN 11 GATSU HI INSHU YATSUKA GUN OITE YAMADA MURA SAKU”

“INSHU KAGENAGA”

“OEI 9 NEN 3 GATSU 11 NICH”

(P.22)

There is a smith called Tadasada or Chutei who turned up in this province for the first time and established his school. The smith name of Tadasada had been succeeded for several generations and the first generation is said to have lived in Bizen Province and been active in the Bumein Era. We have confirmed his extant works with the production dates of the Eisho, Tenbun and Bunroku Eras. There are extant works supposedly by the first generation, which have the inscriptions of the production site ‘Niida Gun’ and ‘Abe Gun’ (with a production date of the Bunroku Era). Tsugusada, Namisada and Morisada who are said to be the students of Tadasada also left their extant works. Their workmanship looks like Bizen-mono at a glance, in particular hiro-sugu-ha by Kiyomitsu of the Sue-Bizen school.

Koga of Hoki Province occurred in the middle of the Muromachi Period and the smith name was succeeded to for generations up to shinto times. He appears to have been active in the Eisho and Tenbun Eras, inferring from work with the production dates of his extant works. Koga who left a work with the mei of ‘Mita Gorozaemon no Jo Koga’ and a production date of the Koji was the second generation. The two smiths who left the extant works have the mei of ‘Mita Kurobei no Jo Koga’ and ‘Doso-o Tojuro Koga’. The second generation and the above two smiths appear to be the sons or students of the first generation. It is said that the first generation was a student of Soshu Tsunahiro and he tempered hitatsura and made his nakago in the Soshu style. The 1^st Koga was active at the same time as 1^st Tsunahiro or a little earlier. The 1^st Koga tempered hiro-sugu-ha, notare mixed with gunome and hitatsura (on tanto). His workmanship resembles that of Sue-Bizen smiths rather than Soshu Tsunahiro. Both lineages of Mita and Doso-o were succeeded up to shinto times. Incidentally the lineages of Mita and Doso-o h werwe succeeded to during shinto times.

There are only few extant works of Sekishu Naotsuna with production dates. It is speculated that the second generation was active around the Eiwa Era. I have seen a katana with the me of ‘Naotsuna’ which appeared to be a work of the third or later generation and a tanto with the mei of ‘Sekishu Dewa Ju Sadatsuna’ which could be attributed to one of the Oei Era. ‘Meikan’ says “There are three generations of Sadatsuna. 1^st Sadatsuna is a son of Naotsuna and there is an extant work with the production dates of Shohei 16 (or Koan 1), the Oei and Kosho Eras.” Naotsuna tempered gunome-midare and occasionally sugu-ha. Sadatsuna tempered ko-notare also gunome-midare and sugu-ha.

In fact, Naotsuna and Sadatsuna lived in Dewa and together with other smiths of the school. There is another group of smiths who lived in Nagahama who were the descendants of Naotsuna. The group includes Hirosue, Hirosada and Rinsho then they temper gentle notare. All of them were active in the middle of the Muromachi Period. There is an extant work of Rinsho with a production date of the Eisho Era. Hirosue appears to have been active a little earlier than Rinsho. There is an extant wakizashi of Hirosue in hira-zukuri with the horimono of Fudomyo. In addition, there is an extant o-dachi by Suesada with a mei in two characters, which is attributed to the mid Muromachi Period. ‘Meikan’ says “Suesada is a son of Iwami Naosada and signs in two characters. There is an extant work with the production date of Oei 19.” It is believed that swordsmith needs distinguished forging skill to make o-dachi then and this maker tends to be attributed to one in the earlier period. There is an extant katana with the mei of ‘Sekishu Nagahama Ju Tsuguhiro’ and the production date of Tenbun 3. The hamon of the katana is sugu-ha.

(Oshigata)

“HOKI (NO) KUNI JUNIN MITA GOROZAEMON (NO) JO KOGO”

“EIROKU 1 NEN 8 GATSU KICHI JITSU”

“SEKISHU DEWA SADATSUNA”

“TADASADA”

“UNSHU NIIDA GUN JU TADASADA”

(P.23)

(Oshigata)

Juyo Token : Wakizashi Mei “INSHU KAGENAGA”

“OEI 9 NEN 4 GATSU 21 NICHI”

(P.24)

Juyo Token : Katana Mei “HAKUSHU JU KOGA SAKU”

(P.25)

Juyo Token : Wakizashi Mei “SEKISHU DEWA SADATSUNA SAKU”