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BIZEN




OSAFUNE NAGAMITSU and his SAN-SAKU "The Three Makers"
           NAGAMITSU - KAGEMITSU - SANENAGA - CHIKAKAGE

         -Showing NAGAMITSU "SAN-SAKU" BOSHI 
         -Showing OSAFUNE MONOUCHI - CHU-width of less pattern 
         -Showing CHOJI-UTSURI - may be spotty

NAGAMITSU - GUNOME-CHOJI MIDARE BA with NIOI "Smoke" TOGARI
            Pattern has gentle undulations of height.

KAGEMITSU - Leaning "Stooped Shoulders" GUNOME with SAKA-ASHI
            The pattern is somewhat even in height.

CHIKAKAGE - Gently undulating KO-GUNOME with ASHI or CHOJI BA

SANENAGA  - Tight NIOI SUGUHA of KO-MIDARE or KO-CHOJI SAKA-ASHI
_________
MITSUTADA RYAKU-NIN 1238
   |______________________ _____________________
___|_____              ___|____              ___|____
NAGAMITSU SHO-O 1288   KAGEYASU SHO-O 1288   SANENAGA KA-GEN 1303
   |___________________ _____________ _______________ __________
___|_____           ___|____      ___|_____       ___|______    |
KAGEMITSU(1)        MORITADA      SANEMITSU(1)    SHIGEMITSU(1) |
   | GEN-KYO 1321   GEN-KO 1331      | SHO-O 1288 ___|_____     |
   |       _____________ ____________|            NAGAMITSU(3)  |
   |  ____|_____     ___|_____    ___|_____                     |
   |  TOSHIMITSU     MITSUNAGA    SANEMITSU(2) SHO-KEI 1332     |
   |  GEN-KYO 1321   EN-BUN 1356  ___|_____                     |
   |  See following               SANEMITSU(3) MEI-TOKU 1390    |
   |               _______________________ _________________ ___|
   |           ___|____                ___|_____    ________|____
   |           KAGEMASA BUN-PO 1317    NAGACHIKA    RAI MITSUKANE
   |           ___|_____               GEN-KYO 1321       See OMI
   |           CHIKAKAGE(1) GEN-O 1319
   |     _________|______________ __________
   | ___|____  ___|_____     ____|____  ____|____ 
   | HIDEKAGE  CHIKAKAGE(2)  CHIKAMUNE  YOSHIKAGE(1) KEM-MU 1334
   | ___|_____  - TEI-WA 1345 -             |_________________
   | SHIGEHIDE                    __________|____        _____|___
   | MEI-TOKU 1390                KOZORI IYESHIGE        YOSHIKANE
   |_________________________       KO-RYAKU 1379    MEI-TOKU 1390
___|_______               ___|_____               
O-KANEMITSU KEM-MU 1334   KAGEMITSU(2) KEM-MU 1334
___|_____                 ___|_____                
YOSHIKAGE(2) O-AN 1368    KAGEMITSU(3) O-AN 1368  
                          ________ _________    ________ ________     
NAGAMITSU Students:       NAGAMOTO YOSHIMOTO    NAGAMOTO NAGAKAGE     
                            - KO-AN 1278 -       - SHO-AN 1299 -      
_________ _________    ________ _________ ________   _________  
HISAMITSU MUNEMITSU(1) IYEMITSU NORIMITSU NAGAMUNE   YOSHITADA  
                   - SHO-WA 1312 -                 (f: TADASADA)
________ ________   _________
MUNENAGA NAGAMORI   TOSHIMUNE
 - BUN-PO 1317 -    SHO-CHU 1324

NAGAMITSU(1) KEN-CHO (f: MITSUTADA): Often recorded working dates
        give: BUN-EI 1264, KO-AN 1278 and SHO-O 1288. Most 
        NAGAMITSU MEI appear from BUN-EI 1264 to GEN-O 1319.

        NAGAMITSU(1): Born: TEI-O 1222, Died EI-NIN 5, 1297 with
        following work belonging to coming generations. SAEMON-JO.
        His fame and reputation earned SAKON SHOGEN and he is 
        thought to have signed JUNKEI in retirement. 

Early work resembles father, MITSUTADA with large patterned 
        O-CHOJI MIDARE BA on mid-KAMAKURA wide upper and full 
        IKUBI-KISSAKI. 

Later: NAGAMITSU blades lose their powerful KEN-CHO upper for the
        graceful FUNBARI of the mid/late KAMAKURA SUGATA 
        transition.

        Time lessens his emphasis from MITSUTADA-style YAKIBA 
        undulation to a more subtle variation in height. GUNOME
        makes its KO-AN 1278 appearance, interdicting the 
        mid-KAMAKURA O-CHOJI patterns popular of the ICHIMONJI 
        and MITSUTADA's KAWAZU. 
        Note: The OSAFUNE, KO-AN GUNOME style-innovation became
        vogue throughout the country, spreading to SOSHU with 
        popularists such as SABURO KUNIMUNE. Mark: GUNOME juts 
        and boulders push through KO-CHOJI. 

SUGATA: Raised SHINOGI TACHI are most encountered. Mid-KAMAKURA
        strength resolves to the graceful transition-period 
        FUNBARI. KO-DACHI and KEN are rare. MU-SORI TANTO are 
        attributed as late work. 

Steel: Refined KO-ITAME has O-HADA. NAGAMITSU and his school, 
       KAGEMITSU, SANENAGA and CHIKAKAGE, etc. will show standing
       MIDARE-UTSURI, the OSAFUNE special mark. UTSURI may spot 
       in BOTAN "Peony" UTSURI or join and dance as CHOJI-UTSURI.
       CHOJI-UTSURI? - Think NAGAMITSU.

OSAFUNE MONOUCHI: YAKIBA line descends from pattern to a fairly
       deserted KO-MIDARE or KO-CHOJI defined of ASHI where the
       tops hold together on a slightly varying CHU-width. 

BOSHI: Early: CHOJI-MIDARE or MIDARE-KOMI.
       Later: SAN-SAKU BOSHI, a style seen in and named for his
              "Three Makers." The SAN-SAKU: YAKIBA dips toward 
              the edge just above the YOKOTE, then widens in a 
              bump which thins and may take a smaller, second 
              bump before a small KO-MARU.

MEI:   NAGAMITSU 
       OSAFUNE NAGAMITSU  
       BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JU NAGAMITSU 
       BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JUNIN SAKON NAGAMITSU TSUKURU 
       BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JU SAKON SHOGEN NAGAMITSU TSUKURU

NAGAMITSU Recap:
Early: Strong, mid-KAMAKURA SUGATA. Undulating O-CHOJI MIDARE BA.
Later: Graceful mid/late KAMAKURA transition FUNBARI SUGATA. Less
       undulation to GUNOME-CHOJI BA.

NAGAMITSU also seen in KEM-MU 1334, SHO-HEI 1346, O-EI 1394, 
BUN-MEI 1469, EI-SHO 1504, EI-ROKU 1558 and BUN-ROKU 1592.


KOKUHO DAIHANNYA
KOKUHO DAIHANNYA NAGAMITSU                      National Treasure
NAGASA: 2 SHAKU 4.3 SUN 
SORI: 9.5 BU 
NAKAGO: 5.2 SUN
MOTO-HABA: 1 SUN 6 RIN
SAKI-HABA: 7.4 BU

During the MUROMACHI, the value of ROKU BYAKU KAN or Six Hundred KAN set for this blade rhymed with the DAIHANNYA KEI Sutra ROKU BYAKU KAN (MAKI), or Six Hundred Books of the DAIHANNYA "Great Wisdom Personified" Sutra; and this greatest of NAGAMITSU's works has been known as the DAIHANNYA NAGAMITSU ever since. 

The DAIHANNYA walked through the changing hands of MUROMACHI power. ASHIKAGA YOSHITERU presented it to the KYOTO conquering, MIYOSHI CHOKEI. 

Later, ODA NOBUNAGA's "falling-domino" unification plan took the sword and the life of last remaining MIYOSHI, CHOKEI's adopted son, YOSHITSUGU. 

NOBUNAGA presented the DAIHANNYA to IYEYASU for his help in crushing ASAKURA YOSHIKAGE and ASAI NAGAMASA (YODO-GIMI's father) at the battle of ANEGAWA River, 1570. See history

In 1573, OKUDAIRA NOBUMASA, with his father SADAYOSHI, returned from the changing TAKEDA Clan into the service of IYEYASU, who installed them at NAGASHINO Castle. 


Hot-headed TAKEDA KATSUYORI, See Shingen soon to earn the disservice of all, attacked his defectors at NAGASHINO, allowing IYEYASU and NOBUNAGA a bloody opportunity to begin dismantling dead SHINGEN's great TAKEDA power base. 

OKUDAIRA NOBUMASA received the DAIHANNYA following NAGASHINO and handed it down in his 
MATSUDAIRA branch until the modern era. 


Battle of Nagashino



DAIHANNYA
SHINOGI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, deeply curved KOSHIZORI. Its wide upper and round, mid-KAMAKURA IKUBI-KISSAKI surround a SHINOGI-wide BO-HI that falls from the KO-SHINOGI to MARU-DOME at the HABAKI-MOTO. 

Stately KO-ITAME HADA provides backdrop for an excited MIDARE CHOJI-UTSURI flux that hovers and dances in a vaporous tryst with the YAKIBA. 

Occasional KAWAZU and OBUSA squeeze from the low CHU-width KO-CHOJI MONOUCHI until single mounds of three-grouped OBUSA push into the JI. A cacophony of questioning KAWAZU, GUNOME and CHOJI protrude through the mid, unrestrained. TAMA-like TOBI find rest on cliff-tops before figures melt into a MIDARE swell in the lower, where brushed NIOI diffuses detail. 

Perfectly balanced SAN-SAKU BOSHI entertains MIDARE-UTSURI in the KISSAKI. 

The short, two MEKUGI-ANA NAKAGO has been abruptly KIRI-cut across the base. 

Two-character TACHI-MEI cut high on the SHINOGI-JI side:
                                                                                         NAGAMITSU 



Nagashino Today


KOKUHO KUMANO SANSHO GONGEN NAGAMITSU 
     Sword of the Three Temples











































NAGASA: 78.0cm 
  SORI: 2.9cm

Signed in reverence of NAGAMITSU's religious affiliation, akin to his Guardian Deity, the KUMANO SHINKO. The three KUMANO-no-SANZAN, HONGU, SHINGU and NACHI, along the KUMANO River in KII, are the most sacred SHINTO Shrines devoted to the Creation Mysteries.

SHINOGI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, KOSHIZORI. FUNBARI TACHI slopes to a KO-KISSAKI. 

Tight KO-ITAME HADA has standing MIDARE-UTSURI. A defined NIOI-GUCHI draws the refined CHOJI-MIDARE with GUNOME of ASHI and YO of his late period work. 

NOTARE-KOMI BOSHI finds KO-MARU at the head. 

Falling UBU-NAKAGO resolves in a slightly HA-AGARI KURI-JIRI. Two MEKUGI-ANA. 

Signed TACHI-MEI in the SHINOGI-JI:
     KUMANO SANSHO GONGEN   -  NAGAMITSU





Nagamitsu Naginata - Kokuho

Nagamitsu Naginata - Kokuho
Nagasa: 44.2cm
Moto-Haba: 3.2cm


Unokubi-Tsukuri Naginata with Naginata-Hi.
Ko-Itame Hada has Ji-Nie and Midare-Utsuri.
Gunome Choji-Midare mix. Hiro-Suguha in the Saki.
Midare-Komi Boshi to Togari. Fukashi-Kaeri.
Ubu Kurijiri Naginata Nakago with three Mekugi-ana.

Bonji  - Bizen-no-Kuni Osafune Junin Nagamitsu Tsukuru 


Honda Nagamitsu - Kokuho

Honda Nagamitsu - Kokuho
Nagasa: 75.5cm
Moto-haba: 3cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, deeply curved to elongated Chu-Kissaki.
Ko-Itame Hada has profuse Ji-Nie and Chikei.
Ko-Nie and Nioi-Fukashi Choji-Midare Ba has Ashi and Yo. Sunagashi attends while Nie is more pronounced in the upper.
Midare-Komi Boshi with slight Kaeri.
O-Suriage Nakago has three Mekugi-ana and Kinzogan attribution.
     Nagamitsu Suriage Kotoku - Cao
    Honda Yasufusa-no-Kami Shoji




Nagamitsu Ken - Kokuho

Nagamitsu Ken - Kokuho
Nagasa: 25.3cm
Moto-haba: 2.3cm


Ken with Suken and Vajra Horimono on the Shinogi.
Ko-Itame Hada has profuse Ji-Nie.
Asaki-Notare of Ko-Nie tending to Ara Ko-Nie and Nioi-Fukashi. Sunagashi streams in flow.
Boshi converges on the Shinogi.
ubu, one Mekugi-ana. Signed over the Shinogi.
       Nagamitsu



JUYO BIJUTSU HIN NAGAMITSU 
  Sword of TAKENAKA HAMBEI

























                                                    Takenaka Hambei
NAGASA: 70.0cm 

TAKENAKA SHIGEHARU, 1544 to 1575, known as "HAMBEI" was retainer to  SAITO TATSUOKI, YOSHITATSU's soon vanquished son and last of the line. 

Thought the second generation, time has created a slender TACHI of later  work. Remnants of HORIMONO stand testimony on the OMOTE. 

A strong SUGU-width of complex GUNOME-CHOJI is brushed with SUNAGASHI. 

UBU, with one MEKUGI-ANA, and signed in the upper: 
                                                                                          NAGAMITSU




Junkei - Kokuho

Junkei - Kokuho
Nagasa: 69.4cm
Moto-haba: 2.9cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, deep Sori to Chu-Kissaki.
Bo-Hi both sides. Maru-Dome above Bonji and Rendai Lotus on Omote and Kaku-Dome, Ura.
Ko-Itame Hada has Ji-Nie.
Ko-Nie Deki Ko-Midare Ba with Ashi-iri.
Asaku Notare-Komi Maru Boshi.
Suriage Nakago has two Mekugi-ana. Signed across the Shinogi in the lower.

   Junkei



Junkei - Kokuho

Junkei - Kokuho
Nagasa: 66,8cm
Moto-Haba: 2.9cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, deeply curved to Chu-Kissaki.
Itame Hada has thin Ji-Nie.
Nioi-Fukashi and Ko-Nie Deki Gunome Choji-Midare Ba with Ashi-iri, Sunagashi and Kinsuji.
Omote Midare-Komi, Ura Notare Boshi.
Ubu Nakago has two Mekugi-ana. Signed across the Shinogi in the upper.

     Junkei


OSAFUNE NAGAMITSU School
JUNKEI KO-AN: To EI-NIN 1293. Traditionally this was NAGAMITSU's 
           priest or retirement name. The evidence is similarity 
           of GUNOME within CHOJI showing TOGARI in the tops and 
           a vividly clear MIDARE-UTSURI. The signatures, however,
           differ in style, among other documented doubts. In 
           any event, NAGAMITSU and JUNKEI are closely akinned. 
           JUNKEI: Made TACHI SUGATA. KO-ITAME has a thin JI-NIE 
           veil and standing MIDARE-UTSURI. CHOJI-MIDARE or 
           KO-MIDARE of KO-GUNOME with TOGARI in KO-NIE. BOSHI is
           CHU-MARU HAKIKAKE or YAKIZUME.

NAGAMOTO SHO-AN (t: NAGAMITSU): Helped his master in NAGAMITSU's
        declining years. HADA with MIDARE-UTSURI. KO-CHOJI 
        MIDARE - GUNOME mix. SAN-SAKU BOSHI.
     NAGAMOTO
     OSAFUNE JU NAGAMOTO SAKU
     BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JU NAGAMOTO

TAMEMUNE(1) GEN-KYO (f: NAGAMOTO): MOKUME HADA. CHOJI BA. 2nd to
        KOZORI. See KOZORI
     BISHU OSAFUNE TAMEMUNE

NAGAMITSU(2) KO-AN (f: NAGAMITSU): SAKON SHOGEN. The title is
        synonymous for NAGAMITSU(2) with many statements that (1)
        did not use it. Born: KEN-CHO 1249, Died: SHO-WA 5, 1316.
        MOKUME. NIOI-DEKI MIDARE and CHOJI-MIDARE BA. 
        OSAFUNE MONOUCHI: KO-MIDARE or KO-CHOJI defined of 
        ASHI-IRI.
     BIZEN-no-KUNI SAKON SHOGEN NAGAMITSU TSUKURU

SHIGEMITSU(1) O-CHO (f: NAGAMITSU): Considered with KAGEMITSU. 
           See KAGEMITSU School

NAGAMITSU(3) SHO-HEI (f: SHIGEMITSU): BIZEN-no-KUNI NAGAMITSU


KAGEMASA BUN-PO (f: NAGAMITSU, br: KAGEMITSU): SHINSHI-ZABURO.
        UEMONnoJO. Swords much like his brother, KAGEMITSU. 
        See KAGEMITSU School 
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