©
Copyright
Robert Cole
2015
- No copying
or
distributing
Masamune
__________________________________________
Sword
Making at YAMANOUCHI
|
|
|
MASAMUNE SHO-SO to KA-REKI Born: 1264, died: 1343 (t: SHINTOGO): OKAZAKI-GORO. Late-KAMAKURA/Early-NAMBOKUCHO SUGATA. Forever known as the greatest SOSHU sword smith. His reputation trumpeted by all authorities from all times and all sources. He made TACHI and TANTO. ZAIMEI (signed) TANTO are found, TACHI are almost always MUMEI or O-SURIAGE NAKAGO and therefore without signature. All swords, like paintings, are validated by the work, not by signature. TANTO can be expected between 7 Sun and 9. He enjoyed producing a wide MIHABA SUGATA. His swords are strong.
Early were 7 Sun KOFURI UCHIZORI with FURI-SODE NAKAGO. Later, we see more MU-SORI NAKAGO.
SUGATA: His time, and the swords they made, walked from Late-KAMAKURA SUGATA, to Late-KAMAKURA/Early-NAMBOKUCHO SUGATA and then to the fully developed O-KISSAKI NAMBOKU SUGATA. He was born at the end of Mid- KAMAKURA, lived into the NAMBOKUCHO.
Remember, a late KAMAKURA SUGATA is a normal SHINOGI-TSUKURI NIHONTO shape compared to the coming NAMBOKUCHO SUGATA of long, wide, straight with large O-KISSAKI. The transition shows a graceful curve, wider in the mid and reaching for an elongated KISSAKI. It almost appears subtly similar to the famous SOSHU TANAGO NAKAGO.
MUNE: MITSU-MUNE and IHORI-MUNE. His MUNE will be shallow, or not highly raised.
He created his TANAGO "Fish-Belly" NAKAGO to be uniquely swept back to a small KENGYO or YAMAGATA-shaped JIRI. His TANAGO NAKAGO are tastefully stylized and not exaggerated. A few TANTO appear KURIJIRI but may not have been originally. Even small TANTO with a relatively straight tang, smoothly resolve to a small JIRI. NAKAGO-MUNE may have a very slight NIKU. His well-shaped TANAGO-NAKAGO were a consistent statement to his SOSHU school position.
JI-TETSU is KO-ITAME where HADA runs to the point where, in some pieces has been called O-Mokume. There is JI-NIE and can appear as NIE-UTSURI. The KITAE has CHIKEI and NIE in various places. It is famous that his thinner blade allowed a greater abundance of surface NIE and YUBASHIRI effects, such as TOBI-YAKI and grouping NIE. Special MASAMUNE Note: CHIKEI can be strewn through the steel. At times, abundant dark CHIKEI is seen twisting in the grain and gives the Jitetsu the appearance of Lace Agate.
HAMON is generally NIE-DEKI, NOTARE GUNOME patterns where MIDARE unevenness is taken to the extreme. His figures are dynamic storms. NIE can be MURA-NIE and NIOI is FUKASHI or deep. YO or TOBI can be seen. Early work was influenced by SHINTOGO KUNIMITSU, where KO-NIE DEKI on HOSO-SUGUHA, KO-MARU BOSHI. YAKIDASHI flares up near the MUNE in a manner to mimic SHINTOGO. Then we see KO-MIDARE BA and SUGU ASAKI-NOTARE, gently undulating HAMON line, and the rise of his SOSHU GUNOME-MIDARE special trait of wildly oblong and stretched figures. MIMIGATA GUNOME O-MIDARE BA shrouded under NIE and NIOI with KINSUJI and INAZUMA arcing through the grain. KINSUJI can be particularly bright.Some swords show a long SUGUHA line that becomes ever wider toward the upper, in NIE.
BOSHI can be MIDARE-KOMI or TSUKI-AGE with shallow KAERI. He can show an active O-MARU BOSHI that will be covered with NIE or NIE HAKIKAKE and with KINSUJI.
MASAMUNE YASURI is KATTE-SAGARI.
MASAMUNE MASAMUNE SAKU
Dark
CHIKEI defines wildly forged steel
Don't
Forget...
|
|
|
Meibutsu
Jo Izumi-no-Kami Shoji Masamune -
Kokuho
Meibutsu
Jo
Izumi-no-Kami
Shoji
Masamune
Nagasa:
2 Shaku 3 Sun 3 Bu
(70.6cm)
Sori: 7 Bu (2.12cm)
Moto-haba: 8 Bu 8
Rin (2.67cm)
Saki-haba: 5 Bu 8
Rin (1.76cm)
Kissaki-naga: 9 Bu 6
Rin (2.91cm)
Moto-kasane: 2 Bu
(0.61cm)
Saki-kasane Just
over 1 Bu (0.45cm)
Nakago: 5 Sun 8 Bu
(17.6cm)
Nakagozori: 5 Rin
(0.15cm)
Considered
the highest
stroke of
Soshu art. The
forging
created very
hard steel,
with strongly
standing
Chikei as a
theme.
Brilliantly
shining Nie
strikingly and
unmistakably
states its
author.
Shinogi-tsukuri,
Ihori-mune, deeply
curved and with
Chu-Kissaki.
Itame Hada has Ji-Nie
and its abundant Chikei.
Notare Ko-Choji with
Ko-Ashi and Ko-Gunome
mixed with Yubashiri.
KoAshi-iri falls under
flowing Sunagashi where
Nie-Kori stands like
fruit. Kinsuji wrestles
Chikei for place.
Midare Boshi has Kinsuji
and resolves in
Yakizumi.
O-Suriage Kengyo-Jiri
Sujichigai Yasuri
Kinzogan-Mei: Jo
Izumi-no-Kami (Masashige)
Shoji
Masamune Suriage - Honami
Kotoku - Cao |
|
Meibutsu
Taro-saku Masamune
Kokuho
Masamune
Kitae shows strongly made Chikei
|
Meibutsu
Taro-saku Masamune
Nagasa: 2 Shaku 1 Sun 2 Bu 2 Rin (64.3cm)
Sori: 5 Bu 9
Rin (1.8cm)
Moto-haba: 1
Sun 2 Rin
(3.1cm)
Saki-haba: 8
Bu 3 Rin
(2.5cm)
Kissaki-naga:
1 Sun 3 Bu 5
Rin (4.1cm)
Moto-kasane: 2
Bu (0.61cm)
Saki-kasane
Just over 1 Bu
6 Rin (0.5cm)
Nakago: 5 Sun
6 Bu 4 Rin
(17.1cm)
Slight
Nakagozori
Shinogi-tsukuri,
Mitsu-mune,
wide body,
Bo-Hi and with
strong
Chu-Kissaki.
Itame Hada has Ji-Nie and
Chikei, dappling through the
Ji.
Ko-Midare Ba in an
Asaki-Notare, gently
undulating, line. Chikei
dances in Kitae while Kinsuji
and Nie dress the Hamon.
Midare-Komi Boshi has short
Kaeri.
O-Suriage with shallow
Kurijiri.
|
|
|
|
Meibutsu
Kanze Masamune - Kokuho
Meibutsu
Kanze Masamune
Nagasa: 2
Shaku 1 Sun 2 Bu (64.39cm)
Sori: 6 Bu (1.82cm)
Moto-haba: 9 Bu 3 Rin (2.8cm)
Saki-haba: 5 Bu 6 Rin (1.7cm)
Kissaki-naga: 9 Bu 6 Rin
(2.91cm)
Nakago: 5 Sun 4 Bu 8 Rin
(16.6cm)
Small Nakagozori
Shinogi-tsukuri, Ihori-mune to
Chu-Kissaki.
Itame Hada with Ji-Nie and Chikei
bunch together across the surface.
Ko-Midare and Ko-Gunome push each
other. Ashi cuts figures while Yo
alights. Kinsuji knifes through
flowing Sunagashi.
Midare-Komi Boshi is brushed with
flaring Ji-Nie and Kinsuji.
Horimono are Bonji, Kurikara and Ken.
Two-Mekugi-ana to Kengyo-Jiri
|
|
Meibutsu
Ishida Masamune - Juyo
Bunkazai
Meibutsu
Ishida Masamune
Sword of Ishida Kazushige -
Implacable foe of Iyeyasu
Nagasa: 2
Shaku 2 Sun 7
Bu (68.98cm)
Sori: 8 Bu 2
Rin (2.48cm)
Moto-haba: 9
Bu 2 Rin
(2.79cm)
Saki-haba: 7
Bu (2.12cm)
Kissaki-naga:
1 Sun 5 Rin
(3.18cm)
Nakago: 6 Sun
5 Bu (19.7cm)
Gentle
Nakagozori
Shinogi-tsukuri,
Ihori-mune,
strongly curved
with
Chu-Kissaki. Two
Battle-scars.
Tightly forged
Ko-Itame Hada
has Ji-Nie and
the always
Masamune mark:
Chikei.
Notare line has
Gunome mixed,
with Ashi, Yo
and Kinsuji
running in
Sunagashi.
Midare-Komi
Boshi turns in
Ko-Maru with
Hakikake.
O-Suriage Kengyo
Nakago, one
Mekugi-ana.
|
|
Meibutsu
Musashi Masamune
First a possession of the
Tokugawa Shogunate, then famous
of the Kishu Tokugawa.
Itame Hada with thick Ji-Nie and
Chikei interspersed through the
Hada. Bo-Hi Horimono.
Undulating Notare line of
Gunome, Choji O-Midare Ba with
Kinsuji, Sunagashi and very
strong Tsuyo Nie. Ashi and Yo.
Eboshi Ceremonial-Hat Jizo style Boshi with
slight
Hakikake.
O-Suriage
Kirijiri Nakago with two
Mekugi-ana.
|
|
Meibutsu
Chida Masamune - Juyo
Bunkazai
Meibutsu
Chida Masamune
Nagasa: 2 Shaku 2 Sun 1 Bu (66.96cm)
Sori: 6 Bu
(1.82cm)
Motohaba: 1
Sun (3.03cm)
Saki-haba: 8
Bu 5 Rin
(2.28cm)
Moto-kasane: 2
Bu 3 Rin
(0.7cm)
Saki-kasane: 2
Bu (0.61cm)
Nakago: 6 Sun
5 Bu (19.7cm)
Small
Nakagozori
Very
strong, wide bodied Shinogi
Tachi with shallow Sori and
O-Kissaki. Large Shinogi-wide
Bo-Hi Sugata.
Strongly standing Itame Hada
flies his unmistakable Ji-Nie
and Chikei banner.
Brilliant Ko-Nie O-Notare Gunome
mix shows Kinsuji, Sunagashi and
Tobiyaki.
Midare-Komi Hakikake Boshi has
small Ko-Maru and short Kaeri.
O-Suriage Nakago to soft
Kengyo-Jiri. One Mekugi-ana.
Kinzogan-Mei:
Masamune Suriage
Honami Kotoku - Cao
|
|