"The Three Students" SANTETSU
KUNIMITSU TEI-JI: ASAKO-GORI DAI SHO, HOJOJI JU. He is famous as
one of SOSHU SADAMUNE's three students.
The SANTETSU: KYO NOBUKUNI
BIZEN MOTOSHIGE
HOJOJI KUNIMITSU
Comparison of styles has allowed published doubts. There
are many sacred-cows in sword scholarship, the "Three
Students" is one. Association of famous artists of
disparate style is suspicious, and there are many reasons
for erroneous information. False appraisal to highly
placed gift-swords are a cause; but most of these legends
were inherited from the endless fiction spun by EDO
writers who wrote popular fancy on any and every aspect
of Japanese history and lore. The "Ten Students of
MASAMUNE" is such.
- As most have been cut down, signatures are usually
absent. O-SURIAGE MU-MEI NAGAMAKI and NAGINATA are most
encountered. These have most often been re-shaped for use
as a sword. Re-shaping is expected and presents no affect
on the value of such rare and coveted pieces.
- TACHI will be NAMBOKUCHO wide, with raised SHINOGI and
O-KISSAKI. Shallow FUKURA.
- TANTO are usually altered as well. Expect wide and long
HIRA-TSUKURI with MARU-MUNE or MITSU-MUNE.
- BO-HI, BO-HI SOE-BI or double HI stands below the
KISSAKI. TANTO show SU-KEN, GOMABASHI and BONJI.
- O-MOKUME where CHIKEI attends O-HADA, an old appraisal
point. HOJOJI School is known for its large and fancy,
unique CHOJI pattern called CHABANA "Tea Flowers" CHOJI.
Its definer will be rounded, double-petal heads. Lines
appear as a flowery GUNOME-CHOJI mix in NIOI with KINSUJI
and SUNAGASHI. While long swords show large and varied
CHOJI patterns, TANTO have simple KO-MIDARE BA. Patterns
of SUGUHA or KO-MIDARE BA vary on ZAI-MEI TANTO. NIE
appears to breakup. NAKAGO in KURI-JIRI.
MEI: HOJOJI KUNIMITSU
HO-SHO JU KUNIMITSU
TANSHU JU KUNIMITSU
HO-GORI JU KUNIMITSU
KUNIMITSU(2) O-EI:HOJOJI JU. Most intense work period was prior
to O-EI. Many ZAI-MEI. TANTO and KO-WAKIZASHI of 9 SUN to
1 SHAKU 2 or 3. HIRA-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, MU-SORI.
Strongly running ITAME with JI-NIE. NOTARE-GUNOME HA in
KO-NIE shows SUNAGASHI and KINSUJI. MIDARE-BOSHI to
KO-MARU and long-falling KAERI. Block MEI in thick
strokes. Appears like Native-American hieroglyphs.
MEI: TANSHU JU KUNIMITSU
TANSHU JU HAITOSUKE KUNIMITSU SAKU
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