NOBUKUNI: KO-MOKUME or O-MOKUME with MASAME that shows 
      JI-NIE and CHIKEI. YAMASHIRO style tight HADA and 
      SUGUHA was combined with the SOSHU influenced O-HADA 
      and GUNOME-MIDARE of KO-NIE. HOSO-SUGU KUZURE BA or 
      HOTSURE BA, GUNOME-MIDARE BA with valleys, O-MIDARE 
      with TOBI-YAKI and ASHI, and YA-HAZU "arrow" forms. 
      SUNAGASHI. 
      KO-MARU possibly falls thin, possibly not. HORIMONO.

_____________                         
RAI KUNITOSHI SHO-O 1288 - See Rai Kunitoshi
__|___
RYOKAI EI-NIN 1293 - See Ryokai
  |___________________________________
__|_____       - brothers -        ___|____
HISANOBU (RYOKAI 2) TOKU-JI 1306   KUNIHISA SHO-KEI 1331
__|____________________________________
NOBUHISA Changed name becoming NOBUKUNI(1) KEM-MU 1334
__|_____                        
NOBUKUNI(2) EN-BUN 1356    "Three Students"
  |                          SADAMUNE      
  |___________________ ________ __________ _________________
__|_____           ___|____ ___|____  ____|____  ___________|____
NOBUKUNI(3)        SADAKUNI MASANOBU  SADATOSHI  SANJO YOSHITSUGU
  | SHI-TOKU 1384    -TEI-JI 1362-     O-AN 1368    MEI-TOKU 1390
  |____________________________________                
__|__________________              ____|____ 
NOBUMITSU (NOBUKUNI 4) O-EI 1394   SADAMITSU KO-O 1389
__|_________________                             
NOBUSADA (NOBUKUNI 5) O-EI 1394 to EI-KYO 1429   
  |___________________________ ______________________
__|_____                   ___|____               ___|____    
NOBUKUNI(6) KAN-SHO 1460   KIYOHISA BUN-AN 1444   SADAKUNI    
__|_____                   _________ _________      EI-KYO 1429
NOBUKUNI BUN-MEI 1469      YOSHIHISA SADASHIGE
__|_____                     - EI-KYO 1429 -
NOBUKUNI TEN-MON 1532      _________ ________ _________ 
_________                  SHIGEKUNI SANEMUNE YOSHIKUMO 
YOSHIYASU TEN-MON 1532           - BUN-MEI 1469 -       
  To BUZEN                            
                                      O-NIN 1467:                
                                      YAMASHIRO Swordmaking Fades

NOBUHISA KEM-MU: Became NOBUKUNI(1). A son of either HISANOBU or
        KUNIHISA. Inscribed pieces have fixed EN-KEI 1308 to 
        HISANOBU which then testifies KEM-MU 1334 for NOBUHISA.
        An EN-BUN ZAI-MEI TANTO has set for him a work period 
        ceiling of 1356 and also tilts theory in favor of 
        HISANOBU, as father. NOBUKUNI(1) or NOBUHISA made swords
        in RYOKAI style, SUGUHA or active MIDARE as passed from
        RAI KUNITOSHI to RYOKAI to HISANOBU. His son, NOBUKUNI(2)
        is said to have been student to SOSHU SADAMUNE which 
        evokes, therefore, the looked for SOSHU style as definer.
        RYOKAI style for NOBUKUNI(1) is KO-ITAME with JI-NIE. 
        Defined SUGUHA with ASHI or small CHOJI-like patterns 
        emerging from MIDARE BA.

NOBUKUNI(2) EN-BUN (f: NOBUHISA, grf: HISANOBU): SHINANO-no-KOJI
        JU at GOJO BOMON. Particularly noted for the quality and
        "health" of his steel, he endowed his name and school 
        with SOSHU style and is often referred as NOBUKUNI(1). 
        The 2nd NOBUKUNI will show the wide, thin SOSHU DAMBIRA 
        NAMBOKUCHO SUGATA typical of EN-BUN 1356 to TEI-JI 1362.
        The work of NOBUKUNI is very close to that of his teacher,
        SADAMUNE and is often confused. NOBUKUNI pursued the 
        SADAMUNE CHIKEI and might show an even greater profusion.
        SADAMUNEs' SUNAGASHI will seem to pull from the surfaces 
        of form, following the line of HAMON. NOBUKUNI SUNAGASHI
        is similar but will also tend to run through forms, 
        lazily paralleling the HA. CHIKEI twists in standing 
        O-MOKUME HADA with MASAME under a JI-NIE veil. 
        YAKIBA: KO-NIE pattern where undulating NOTARE holds an 
        ordered, KAKU-like KO-GUNOME MIDARE defined of straight 
        falling ASHI. SHIMA-BA dots the air. Swept SUNAGASHI 
        brushes HAKIKAKE to the BOSHI. Deep KAERI. Famous for the
        highest skill of HORIMONO. Resembles SHINTOGO student, 
        SAGAMI DAISHINBO. His two-character MEI is found below 
        the ANA. The sometimes left-tilted NOBU is small and boxy.
        The KUNI pole falls from left of center to right of 
        center. Note: MU-MEI NAKAGO are differentiated from 
        SADAMUNEs' swept SOSHU style, often mildly pointed 
        KENGYO-like JIRI, by the NOBUKUNI rounded KURIJIRI NAKAGO.
 Tokubetsu Juyo Nobukuni 

This piece was passed as a presentation among the 9th and 10th TOKUGAWA SHOGUNs.

The long, thin-bodied HIRA-TSUKURI NAMBOKU DAMBIRA has grooves that convey the notion of SHINOGIs. 
KEN HORIMONO stands in half the length of a BO-HI on the URA where a thin KOSHI-HI stands guard. Two thin grooves run the OMOTE. 

His SOSHU teachers are famous for a swirling O-MOKUME that is passed to this blade. JI-NIE wets as CHIKEI twists. 

Rising GUNOME corrupts NOTARE waves where lazy SUNAGASHI straps falling ASHI. KINSUJI plies under dotting SHIMA-BA. Falling NIOI-ASHI sneaks to the HA. 

KINSUJI and SUNAGASHI clasp across a broom-swept Hakikake KO-MARU. The deep-falling KAERI disappears to the MUNE. 

Past mountings competed for the same ANA on the otherwise UBU NAKAGO. 
                                                                 Signed: NOBUKUNI

NOBUSADA (NOBUKUNI 5) O-EI (f: NOBUKUNI 3): SHIKIBUnoJO. Possibly
        the son of the 4th NOBUKUNI. NOBUSADA changed his name to
        NOBUKUNI in O-EI. A NOBUSADA signature is seen in KO-EI 
        1342. As NOBUKUNI(5) worked the O-EI up to his death in 
        EI-KYO, SHIKIBUJO and KO-EI NOBUSADA are thought to be 
        different men. Again, his work period of some 30 years to
        EI-KYO would set his relationship to SAEMONnoJO 
        NOBUKUNI(4) (aka: NOBUMITSU), whose early MEI starts in
        SHI-TOKU 1384, as the likely parent. 
        MOKUME with MASAME shows CHIKEI and JI-NIE in the style
        of the 4th. As with the 4th, there are CHOJI, GUNOME 
        with TOBI and YUBASHIRI-flared MIMIGATA and YAHAZU forms.
        Remember, with NOBUKUNI: YUBASHIRI rings O-EI bells. A 
        repeating TOGARI in the theme should focus one's 
        attention on NOBUKUNI(5). 

NOBUKUNI(6) KAN-SHO: SABUROZAEMON. From BUN-AN 1444 to BUN-SHO
        1466. The O-NIN War crushes the city and arts of KYOTO.
        The great YAMASHIRO KOTO sword tradition permanently 
        wanes. Standing ITAME without  variation. YAKIBA is 
        generally KO-NIE GUNOME-MIDARE HA. NOBUKUNI follows in
        BUN-MEI 1469 and TEN-MON 1532.

SADAKUNI TEI-JI: GENGORO. Moved to ECHIGO to study under YAMAMURA
        MASANOBU. Changed his name to NOBUKUNI in EI-TOKU 1381.
        Buddhist name: RYOICHI. Made TACHI and TANTO. MOKUME with
        MASAME. SUGUHA and KO-MIDARE BA. GENGORO said to have 
        signed his KUNI with a sword (TO) under a roof (YANE), 
        enclosed in a frame.

MASANOBU TEI-JI (t: NOBUKUNI): Summoned to ECHIGO by the Lord of
        YAMAMURA. Changed his name in later years to NOBUKUNI.
        Made HIRA-TSUKURI TANTO of normal width. Running ITAME
        HADA has JI-NIE. Dark steel. KO-NIE SUGUHA or ARA-NIE on
        GUNOME-MIDARE of defined NIOI.

YOSHITSUGU(1) MEI-TOKU (t: NOBUKUNI, f: YOSHIHIRO): SANJO JU. His
        work period begins in O-AN 1368. HEIANJO smith of the
        late SANJO YOSHINORI line working near the KURAMA-DERA
        Temple in KYOTO. KO-MIDARE BA with ASHI. 
        See HEIANJO - from YOSHINORI and KURAMA SEKI.

YOSHITSUGU(2) EI-KYO: HEIANJO. SANJO JU. See HEIANJO YOSHINORI.

YOSHITSUGU(3) MEI-O: See KURAMA SEKI.