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YAMASHIRO


                   

YAMASHIRO RAI School - MAGOTARO KUNITOSHI

A controversy of study begs this head-master to share his post. There are two opinions advanced in reference. 

One:   KUNITOSHI had a long career, where he explicitly
           changed his style, SUGATA and signature leaving 
           two clear work periods.
Two: There were two different swordsmiths. 

Examination of the available material shows two distinct style patterns in SUGATA, YAKIBA, BOSHI, KAERI, NAKAGO and MEI. There are no overt similarities. While one work states Two-characters was the elder brother who died and others, the father, MAGOTARO KUNITOSHI "Best Grandson" banners the new head of an inherited RAI forge. MAGOTARO, third from RAI TARO, created a new "FUNBARI" over the exhausted KEN-CHO, full YAKIBA expansion to give the country a clear, new path for the SUGATA styles of late-KAMAKURA. 
The KUNITOSHI career ends with a noted passing in 1316. 

Three periods -


-

-

The robust, strong SUGATA, wide and demonstrative YAKIBA that mark the early work
named for the "Two-character" MEI that coincides. 


The "Three-character" RAI KUNITOSHI period, with its SUGUHA and tapered upper. 


A waning later period of varied character groups.

"Two-characters" NIJI KUNITOSHI KO-AN 1278 (f: KUNIYUKI, grf: KUNIYOSHI):  

He made mid-KAMAKURA, wide KOSHIZORI IKUBI TACHI. His work has been described as "majestic." 

An excellent ITAME with JI-NIE that resembles standing NIE-UTSURI. 

YAKIBA is KO-NIE FUKASHI O-CHOJI KO-MIDARE, DAIBO CHOJI or JUKA CHOJI noted for particularly grand beauty. GUNOME-MIDARE. 

BOSHI is a repeat of pattern with an informal or unstructured, slight KAERI. 

Early MEI appears large, but in time becomes smaller and with the KUNI frame rounded. 
Note: Look for higher YAKIBA on the URA.

NIJI embraced a world where he stood with national peers, the BIZEN to KAMAKURA transplants, SUKEZANE and SABURO who carried ICHIMONJI JUKA CHOJI and MITSUTADA's OSAFUNE-style GUNOME-CHOJI patterns to the HOJO capital in SAGAMI. FUKUOKA's unbridled success and full development of their extravagant CHOJI patterns, had the powerful purchasers in KAMAKURA inclined to a comfortable counter in OSAFUNE's GUNONE-CHOJI BA. JUKA, KAWAZU, FUKUOKA and the ICHIMONJI all called an Imperial vision from their Imperial birth, a very loud Imperial birth. The HOJO's need for culture in their capital included a solid win on the battlefield of 
sword style. 

The constant outpour from OSAFUNE won a faddish national acceptance of GUNOME by KO-AN 1278. NIJI was head of the KYOTO RAI and his powerful pieces contrast, utterly, the refined imposition of SANJI's recall of graceful HEIAN FUNBARI. His new tapering brought a new path for the country and an established RAI style for SHO-O 1288. See The Ten Students 
SANJI enjoys his success as students, RYOKAI, MITSUKANE and all others mix RAI SHIBUI in their travels.


BUNKAZAI NIJI "Two-characters" KUNITOSHI


NAGASA: 2.4 SHAKU 9.5 BU 
SORI: 8.5 BU 
NAKAGO: 9.8 SUN
MOTO-HABA: 1 SUN 5 RIN
SAKI-HABA: 7 BU
SHINOGI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, KOSHIZORI TACHI. The SHINOGI-JI is a long BO-HI. A thin groove walks with. KOSHI-HI on the URA resolves in KAKU at HABAKI-MOTO, while SU-KEN HORI arms the OMOTE. 

This sword is the food-source for all KUNITOSHI descriptions. 
JI-NIE dresses standing KO-ITAME. 
KAWAZU tadpoles play in a DAIBO forest. This CHOJI does not mimic the ICHIMONJI as is often written. The rounded heads crowd and lean. Forms are balanced yet dynamic, the high reaching line teasing the HA in places. Quietly, the URA is nearly twice the height. A theme carried through the crowded BOSHI where the URA KAERI paints double lines. 
The original NAKAGO is retained with three MEKUGI-ANA showing multiple mountings. 
                                     MEI: KUNITOSHI



Kunitoshi - Kokuho

Kunitoshi - Kokuho
Nagasa: 76.1cm
Moto-Haba: 3cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, little curve.
Itame Hada has Ji-Nie profuse Chikei.
Wide Yakiba of Nioi-Fukashi Choji-Midare with Ashi and Yo. The lower of profuse Nie Deki.
Gunome-Choji Boshi with Kaen turn.
Ubu Haagari Kurijiri has three Mekugi-ana, two of which have become joined. Signed in the mid.

   Kunitoshi


Kunitoshi - Kokuho

Kunitoshi - Kokuho
Nagasa: 75.3cm
Moto-Haba: 2.8cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, deeply curved with Chu-Kissaki.
Itame Hada has Ji-Nie and Chikei.
Hiro-Sugu Nie-Deki and Nioi-Fukashi Ko-Choji-Midare with Sunagashi, Ashi and Yo. Figures widen to the Shinogi through the mid.
Gunome-Choji Boshi with Hakikake.
O-Suriage nakago has slight Kurijiri and three Mekugi-ana.

   Kunitoshi


Kokuho Niji Kunitoshi


NAGASA: 28.8cm 
  SORI: 0.2cm 
NAKAGO: 11.5cm

HIRA-TSUKURI,IHORI-MUNE, wide-bodied TANTO. SU-KEN on OMOTE, BO-HI/SUE-BI extends on the URA.

KO-ITAME HADA is veiled in JI-NIE and RAI NIE-UTSURI.

A bright NIOI-GUCHI has KO-NIE where ASAKI-NOTARE undulates high-reaching GUNOME with TOGARI. KO-ASHI IRI defines.

MIDARE-KOMI BOSHI has TOGARI in the head.

Two MEKUGI-ANA on HA-AGARI NAKAGO. Signed large, NIJI MEI:
                                                                                                                 Kunitoshi


JUYO BIJUSTU HIN - NIJI KUNITOSHI - Sword of UESUGI KENSHIN

Uesugi Kenshin
NAGASA: 83.6cm 

RAI NIJI KUNITOSHI, a true Samurai sword. Powerful. A blend of the old KENUKI with the power of mid-KAMAKURA.
 


UESUGI KENSHIN KYO-ROKU 3, 1530 to TEN-SHO 6, 1578. Vassals of the UESUGI, he was born NAGAO SARUMATSU-MARO, "The Pine Monkey," he became KAGETORA. His useless elder brother inherited and KAGETORA, 11, gave up and become a priest: SHUSHIMBO, traveling throughout the country.

At HIEI-ZAN he met UESUGI clansman, USAMI SADAYUKI, who had fought his father until a peace in 1538. SADAYUKI convinced KAGETORA to return. 

At 13, with the help of SADAYUKI, he returned to ECHIGO, deposed his brother and first gained attention by placing control over brother-in-law, NAGAO MASAKAGE. 

When KAGETORA was 21, UESUGI NORIMASA sought refuge from another beating by HOJO UJIYASU, one of the ODAWARA father/son team engaged in the KANTO. 
His condition to NORIMASA was KANRYO "Governor," a full adoption into the UESUGI family-line, and ECHIGO-no-KAMI - Rank and Title. 

One year later, he shaved his head and became KENSHIN

Another year, 1553, he accepted an alliance with MURAKAMI YOSHIKIYO to protect their common real-estate from the TAKEDA. Thus brought history the most protracted series of Samurai battles 

                                                 - at KAWANAKAJIMA..


 
SHINGEN deflects KENSHINs' stroke
They clashed on this ground for 10 years. They knew each rock and brook. They knew the mind and whispers of the fogs and mist, and the birds of the field - for each helped or hindered. Friend or foe.

Their four major encounters were every year skipping only the summer of 1555. TAKEDA SHINGEN's run for KYOTO was annually checked every summer by UESUGI KENSHIN.

KENSHIN was checked by the ASHIKAGA SHOGUN's order to repress the HOJO. Everybody all taken up. The TAKEDA had ODA and IYEYASU in the winter and KENSHIN in the summer (See SHINGEN), KENSHIN had the HOJO at ODAWARA.

Declaring on the HOJO, SHOGUN YOSHITERU gave, from his own name, "TERU" to join with KAGETORA's, "TORA" then becoming UESUGI TERUTORA "The Shining Tiger" of ECHIGO.

He now fought SHINGEN and the HOJO. Eventually, the SHOGUN settled by having KENSHIN adopt HOJO UJIYASU's seventh, who took KENSHIN's "KAGETORA."

This peace allowed full attention to SHINGEN, which left open his flank for a ripe try by ODA NOBUNAGA. While re-orienting, KENSHIN fell sick and died at 48.

 
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