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_____________ TORIN KUNIIYE GEN-RYAKU 1184 ____|_____________ TORIN KUNITOMO KEN-KYU 1190 - SHO-GEN GOBAN and Twenty-four GOBAN |____________________ __________ _________ ____|___ ___|____ ___|____ ___|____ NORIKUNI KUNISUKE TOMOSUYE KUNIZANE KEN-PO 1213 | SHO-KYU 1219 - TEI-O 1222 - ___|___ | KUNINAO BUN-EI 1264 |______________________________________ ____________________ ____|____ ____|___ | KUNIYOSHI HO-JI 1247 KUNINOBU KO-CHO 1261 | |___________________ __________ | | ____|_____ ____________|____ ____|____ | | YOSHIMITSU RAI TARO KUNIYUKI YOSHIMASA | | - SHO-GEN 1259 - KAN-KI 1229 | | __________ __________ ___________|__________ | ____|____ ___|____ ___|____ ____|____ ___|____ | SANETOSHI SANETAKA SANEKIYO MASATSUGU KUNISADA | HO-JI 1247 - KO-CHO 1261 - KO-AN 1278 BUN-EI 1264 | ______________________ | TOSHIRO-SAKON KUNINOBU SHO-WA 1312 | ________________________________ _______________| _______________|____ ____|____ AWATAGUCHI KUNIMITSU(1) KEN-CHO 1249 MASAMITSU BUN-O 1260 _____________|____ __________|____ SHINTOGO KUNIMITSU(2) SHO-AN 1299 TOSA YOSHIMITSU SHO-AN 1299 ___________|____ SENJUIN and TEGAI HASEBE NAGAMITSU GEN-O 1319 |
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KUNITOMO KEN-KYU (f: KUNIIYE): SHO-GEN GOBAN KAJI - sixth month and the Twenty-four GOBAN KAJI with BIZEN KANEMICHI - 1st month. TORINZAEMON. 1st son. Being the eldest, he is the likely candidate for attributing AWATAGUCHI swords of the older SUGATA styles. His will be KO-KISSAKI TACHI SUGATA of a noted grace. KO-ITAME HADA with JI-NIE. HOSO- SUGU width of KO-MIDARE BA with ASHI that shows KINSUJI. AWATAGUCHI style NIE JI-BA dapple the line. MEI: KUNITOMO KUNITOMO TSUKURU TOMOSUYE TEI-O (t: KUNITOMO): Work to KAN-GEN 1243. KUNISUKE TEI-O 1222 |
NORIKUNI SHO-KYU (f: KUNITOMO): TOMANOSUKE. OKI GOBAN KAJI - 1st and 2nd month. Made swords in the transition period from early to mid KAMAKURA and both styles may be seen. Early pieces show KO-KISSAKI KOSHIZORI. Mid-KAMAKURA SUGATA has the unmistakable emphasis to the upper with an IKUBI-like, broad KISSAKI. NASHI-JI style KO-MOKUME is evenly veiled in JI-NIE. Standing, AWATAGUCHI style NIE-UTSURI. SUGU CHOJI-MIDARE with ASHI or KO-MIDARE CHOJI BA in KO-NIE. Robust KINSUJI walks in SUNAGASHI. BOSHI is HAKIKAKE brushed KO-MARU. |
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| NAGASA: 74.7cm
SORI: 2.3cm SHINOGI-TSUKURI,IHORI-MUNE, early-KAMAKURA SURIAGE TACHI. A deep curve reaches to an elongated KO-KISSAKI. Extremely fine KO-ITAME HADA has a fine veil of JI-NIE. A long HOSO-SUGUHA that becomes gently ASAKI-NOTARE KO-MIDARE BA in deep NIOI-FUKAi and KO-NIE. There is ASHI and YO, and KINSUJI strikes through figures becoming slightly SUNAGASHI. BOSHI is KO-MARU in NIE where KINSUJI is seen. SURIAGE NAKAGO drops gently to a KURI-JIRI where his MEI resides against the MUNE. Three MEKUGI-ANA. |
KUNIYOSHI HO-JI: The eldest son of AWATAGUCHI NORIKUNI. KUNIYOSHI is one of the great TANTO makers. His famous peers are RAI KUNIMITSU and AWATAGUCHI YOSHIMITSU. There are few TACHI. TANTO are small. The styles of this time are narrow with perhaps, UCHIZORI. However, a subtle departure championed by pupil and brother, YOSHIMITSU is the retention of width through the MONOUCHI leaving a rounded FUKURA. The two styles, then, are narrow with elongated point and wider with rounded FUKURA. They may or may not seem UCHIZORI. TACHI will be the deeply curved KO-KISSAKI SUGATA of early KAMAKURA. Vivid ITAME of NASHIJI-HADA is veiled in JI-NIE, and shows CHIKEI. HOSO or CHU width of GUNOME with ASHI or KO-MIDARE BA that becomes NIJU. BOSHI is KO-MARU where NIE is gently swept. His HORIMONO are simple figures, GOMABASHI and BO-HI - carved along the MUNE, a trait. There are thin-lined MEI and thick-lined. The crossing first stroke of the SHI radical of the YOSHI is made light. The third stroke of the SHI radical is approximately the width of the lower border of the KUNI.The vertical stroke reaches the KUNI border. The SHI radical and KUNI lower border are at right angles. |
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HIRA-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, UCHIZORI TANTO. This is the small, wide-bladed mid-KAMAKURA style. O-HADA varies fine KO-ITAME where veiled JI-NIE has RAI dappling. A defined NIOI CHU-SUGUHA is of profuse KO-NIE and takes a slight approach for the HA at the MONOUCHI, the AWATAGUCHI mark. The smooth line crumbles very subtly in its resolve at the MACHI. BOSHI is a smooth KO-MARU that leaves balanced but deep YAKIBA on the point. A long HI skirts the MUNE. UBU NAKAGO has had multiple mountings.
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KUNIMITSU(1) KEN-CHO (f: NORIKUNI, br: KUNIYOSHI): 2nd son. TOBEI. Old writers and new argue this name. One history has AWATAGUCHI KUNIMITSU and SHINTOGO, different periods of the same career. Dates for SOSHU YUKIMITSU and the KAMAKURA period of AWATAGUCHI KUNITSUNA tend to corral SHINTOGO into the latter century, where late KAMAKURA CHU-KISSAKI TACHI is expected. The early work of KUNIMITSU(1) would be the mid-KAMAKURA IKUBI-KISSAKI SUGATA. KO-MOKUME with JI-NIE and AWATAGUCHI style, strongly standing NIE-UTSURI. KO-NIE in NIOI-FUKASHI HOSO-SUGUHA. HORIMONO, if found, are said to resemble that of SHINTOGO. KUNIMITSU AWATAGUCHI SABEInoJO KUNIMITSU KUNIMITSU(2) SHO-AN (f: AWATAGUCHI KUNIMITSU): Son and student. SHINTOGO. Also SHINTOTARO. Conjectured to have had affiliation with the HASE-DERA Temple in YAMATO from which he started the HASEBE. He is known as the father of SOSHU stylists. A famous TANTO maker, his SUGATA often differs to the popular variations of YOSHIMITSU. See treatment in SAGAMI See Tokubetsu Juyo Shintogo Tachi See Tokubetsu Juyo Shintogo Tanto KUNIMITSU SHINTOGO KUNIMITSU KAMAKURA JU HASEBE KUNIMITSU SHINTOGO KUNIMITSU HOSHI SAKU KAMAKURA JUNIN SHINTOGO KUNIMITSU SAGAMInoKUNI KAMAKURA JUNIN HASEBE KUNIMITSU NAGAMITSU GEN-O (t: SHINTOGO KUNIMITSU): SABURO. See HASEBE. YOSHIMITSU SHO-GEN (t: KUNIYOSHI, f: NORIKUNI): See YOSHIMITSU School following. KUNIYUKI SHO-GEN (f: KUNIYOSHI): RAI Founder. KO-MIDARE of OBUSA CHOJI MIDARE. Also called JUNIJIN. See treatment in RAI School following AWATAGUCHI YOSHIMASA KAN-KI (t: KUNIYOSHI): KO-MOKUME. CHU-SUGU KO-MIDARE BA KUNINOBU KO-CHO (t: KUNIYOSHI, f: NORIKUNI): GOROZAEMONnoJO and TOZA. Pieces are rare. KO-MOKUME HADA. KO-NIE SUGUHA and KO-MIDARE BA. KUNINOBU KUNISADA BUN-EI (t: KUNINOBU): CHUJIRO. Transferred to AYABE in TAMBA as did other NORIKUNI line smiths. RAI KUNITOSHI style SUGUHA with KO-ASHI. See TAMBA KUNISADA KUNINOBU SHO-WA: UMAnoSUKE. Took the name: TOSHIROSAKON. Moved to SAGAMI YAMANOUCHI MASAMITSU BUN-O (t: NORIKUNI): MOKUME HADA. SUGUHA with ASHI. Students drift to TAMBA. TOSA YOSHIMITSU SHO-AN (t: MASAMITSU): There were four famous YOSHIMITSUs. AWATAGUCHI YOSHIMITSU is most important and most highly regarded, two BIZEN smiths and second in importance, TOSA YOSHIMITSU who started the TOSA School. He is seen to have SENJUIN and TEGAI influence and theorists have suggested he is the same man as SENJUIN YOSHIMITSU from YAMATO. MOKUME HADA has JI-NIE. HOSO- SUGUHA in NIE. YAMATO smith made KO-KISSAKI TACHI with slight KOSHIZORI. MOKUME with O-HADA shows JI-NIE however, HAMON may lean to unevenly placed GUNOME HA. |
____________________ AWATAGUCHI KUNIYOSHI RAI Founding Father HO-JI 1247 _______________|___________ _____________ ____|_____ _______|____ ____|____ ____|____ YOSHIMITSU RAI KUNIYUKI YOSHIMASA TADAYOSHI (t: HISAKUNI) | - SHO-GEN 1259 - KAN-KI 1229 KEN-CHO 1249 |________________________ ___________________________ ____|____ ____|____ ___|___ YOSHIKUNI SHO-GEN 1259 YOSHIMASA(1) KEN-CHO 1249 YORIIYE ______________________| KA-GEN 1303 ____|____ ____|____ KUNITSUNA KO-AN 1278 YOSHIMASA(2) KA-GEN 1303 YOSHIMITSU SHO-GEN (t: KUNIYOSHI, f: NORIKUNI): Youngest. Born: 1229, Died: 1291. Work to KO-AN 1278. One of the three great TANTO makers, he is often referred simply by his common name, TOSHIRO. To find a YOSHIMITSU long sword, is to find the only one. HIDEYOSHI's favorite, the ICHIGO-HITOFURI YOSHIMITSU DAITO was burned in the OSAKA fire. IYEYASU searched it out and had ECHIZEN SHIMOSAKA (YASUTSUGU) retemper it. This SAIHA is now an Imperial Property. It is said to be an imposing mid-KAMAKURA IKUBI-KISSAKI TACHI. He also made KEN and NAGINATA. His UCHIZORI, MITSU-MUNE TANTO are theme variations. Most are wide for his small 8.5 SUN SUGATA (varies between 8.1 and 9.9 SUN). This width may carry the length to portray a round FUKURA or FUKURA-TSUKU, his common SUGATA. The ATSUSHI TOSHIRO is a very thick backed, wide SUGATA where the MONOUCHI shallows - and would appear TAKENOKO "Bamboo-sprout" were it not for the deliberate FUKURA and slightly elongated SAKI. He also made AWATAGUCHI style slender SUGATA. Perfection of balance never overstates. -SHIN-TETSU: AWATAGUCHI "Gold" JI-NIE dresses standing, moist blue over purple KO-MOKUME NASHI-JI with O-HADA. -YAKIBA:CHU-width lays a soft blanket to KO-GUNOME HA defined of oblique-falling KO-ASHI in fine KO-NIE and NIOI-FUKASHI. KINSUJI-like strays fall from the line. Always quoted YOSHIMITSU mark: AZUKI "Bean" KO-GUNOME figures in the YAKIDASHI. These may be overt or a perturbance of line, if discernible. Color: Snow white. -BOSHI and upper: Falling NIOI and ASHI may invoke a YAKIHABA SEMAI or "Narrowing" similar to SHINTOGO. Line flows to a fairly sharp KO-MARU where NIE can be ARA. Famous for OKINA-HIGE "Old Man's Beard," - a few whisker-like threads drift down from the head. There is meat in the turnback which drops somewhat deeply. -HORIMONO: Simple carvings are cut deep, and run along the MUNE: - BO-HI, GOMABASHI and SUKEN. Note: The thicker TOSA YOSHIMITSU can be confused with AWATAGUCHI. Beyond KASANE the secret is color. Recap: -NASHI-JI with O-HADA has JI-NIE -Thinning CHU-SUGU complexity increases in mid -BOSHI: ARA-NIE head with OKINA-HIGE "Whiskers" -YAKIDASHI resolves in "Bean" KO-GUNOME |
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GYO-BUTSU HIRANO TOSHIRO
- YOSHIMITSU TANTO Imperial Property
HIRA-TSUKURI, MITSU-MUNE TANTO with deep BO-HI to both sides. First listing in the KYOHO era MEIBUTSU. This is his brother's wide SUGATA, YOSHIMITSU made famous. His longest piece, its strength retains the simplicity that imbues his work. Small KO-ASHI cut and spill, carving complex and defined KO-GUNOME to the CHU-SUGU URA. NIOI-FUKASHI saturates clefts to smooth the line where searching legs divine an underground stream, slipping along the lower. OMOTE mounds the YAKIDASHI but still holds restraint, while ASHI breaks up strays in the mid. NIOI surfaces near the SAKI to pull a pointed KO-MARU from its medium fall. Straight falling KURIJIRI NAKAGO has lined, mal-round single MEKUGI-ANA above his two-character MEI. |
Meibutsu Maeda Toshiro |
Meibutsu Atsushi Toshiro |
Meibutsu Shinano Toshiro |
MAEDA TOSHIRO NAGASA: 24.5cm - JUYO BUNKAZAI ATSUSHI TOSHIRO NAGASA: 21.8cm - KOKUHO SHINANO TOSHIRO NAGASA: 25.0cm - JUYO BUNKAZAI
YORIIYE KA-GEN (f: YOSHIMITSU): KO-MOKUME HADA. SUGUHA. YOSHIKUNI KA-TEI (t: YOSHIMITSU): KO-MOKUME. CHU-SUGUHA. YOSHIMASA(1) KEN-CHO (t: YOSHIMITSU): He and YOSHIMASA(2) became KOKAJI KAGENAGA and are root and founder of the INABA KOKAJI School. KO-MIDARE BA. See INABA. YOSHIMASA(2) KA-GEN: Became INABA KAGENAGA. See INABA. KUNITSUNA KO-AN to TOKU-JI (t: YOSHIMASA): Same name as SANEKUNI. SAGAMI. YAMANOUCHI KUNITSUNA. |
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