© Copyright Robert Cole 1998 - No copying or
distributing -Note: Missing
graphics
SUE-BIZEN
The 150 year SUE-BIZEN saw the style transition from OEI, and the
product of its last 5 generations feed the constant craving of
the SENGOKU "Hundred Year Wars"
Technical: SUGATA - Blades began to shorten following O-EI and
were made strong and wide with shallow
curvature after BUN-MEI 1469. The SENGOKU
"Time of Battles" found lengthening a little
beyond that of OEI. Some SUE-BIZEN with
raised SHINOGI.
HADA - Pronounced KO-MOKUME or MOKUME HADA that
appears soft.
HAMON - Some SUGUHA or quite often GUNOME-MIDARE,
NOTARE-MIDARE and some GUNOME-CHOJI MIDARE.
"Crab-claw" CHOJI. HOTSURE. ASHI can be thick.
NIOI and KO-NIE. NIE-KUZURE. Some SUE-BIZEN
masterworks have exceptionally handsome HAMON.
BOSHI - MIDARE. Can be GUNOME-MIDARE, even a mix
of KO-CHOJI MIDARE that may appear crowded.
Most have KO-MARU.
NAKAGO - BIZEN NAKAGO. Signatures usually include
province, town and smith but occasionally
a personal name is included or perhaps
the name of the destined owner. Note: Long
MEI in SUE-BIZEN may have increased sales
potential over otherwise similar pieces.
SUE-BIZEN thumbers:
-Crab-claw CHOJI rings KATSUMITSU/MUNEMITSU bell.
-SUGUHA whispers TADAMITSU and KIYOMITSU.
-NORIMITSU is complex KO-CHOJI - not usually high-reaching.
-SUKESADA, look for high mounds with wide valleys.
Smith lines walk straight through three SUE-BIZEN work periods
__________________________________________
| |
| "KANSHO" - Early SUE-BIZEN |
| * OEI to MUROMACHI Style Transition * |
|__________________________________________|
________________________________
| |
| BUN-MEI - MUROMACHI BIZEN |
| forward of BUN-MEI 1469 |
|________________________________|
____________________________
| |
| The SENGOKU |
| forward of MEI-O 1492 |
|____________________________|
SUE-BIZEN KANSHO
________________________________________
| |
| "KANSHO" - Early SUE-BIZEN |
| |
| OEI to MUROMACHI Style Transition |
| KA-KICHI 1441 through O-NIN 1467 |
|________________________________________|
In swords, the OEI is a style-period. Although technically in
MUROMACHI times, OEI is different by style from MUROMACHI BIZEN.
OEI-style grows from the O-EI of around 1400, and continues into
EI-KYO, forward of 1429. The EI-KYO shows us OEI-style on the
wane coupled to the rising presence of a new MUROMACHI style for
the emerging SUE-BIZEN era.
Following the time of the EIKYO War of 1439 and until O-NIN 1467,
we have the early SUE-BIZEN, MUROMACHI work centered, and
therefore called, KANSHO BIZEN.
|
EI-KYO 1429 - - MEI-O 1492
<-------------------- | -------------------->
KA-KICHI 1441 - O-NIN 1467
|--------- | ---------|
- KANSHO BIZEN -
KAN-SHO 1460
--|--
-OEI styles fade
-MUROMACHI style rises
Because smith lines work straight through the SUE-BIZEN, the term
KANSHO has been loosely used by various sources to mean all work
prior to the SENGOKU.
SUE-BIZEN can be categorized by MUROMACHI work:
1 -following OEI style
2 -arising from the social stability of the BUN-MEI
3 -of the SENGOKU
Correct study of Japanese swords is by smith association within
schools. Therefore it should be remembered that SUE-BIZEN smith
lines walk these three platforms through generational time.
Early SUE-BIZEN Lines:
* KANSHO YOSHIMITSU
* KANSHO NORIMITSU
* KANSHO SUKEMITSU
* KANSHO NORIMITSU
* KANSHO TADAMITSU
