UK
SWORD REGISTER NO. 101
Type: Shinto katana
Nagasa:
70.1 cm Moto-haba:
2.8 cm Saki-haba: 2.1 cm
Sugata: Shinogi-zukuri with shallow but high koshi-zori, low iori-mune and extended chu-kissaki.
Jihada: Itame-gokuro, becoming an undulating masame-hada in the monouchi area.
Hamon: Suguha in nie-deki, quite a wide nioi-guchi and abundant sunagashi. Boshi is yakizume with hakikake.
Nakago: Ubu with one mekugi-ana and slim overall shape, mumei, yoko-yasurime, ha-agarai katayamagata jiri.
Mumei but attributed (NTHK) to Bungo Fujiwara Yukinaga.
This
sword has a good length with a noticeably shallow sori that somewhat resembles
the Kanbun-shinto sugata, but the extended chu-kissaki is inconsistent with
this. The masame (straight grain) in the monouchi area would indicate Yamato-den
influence which is supported by the yakizume-boshi (no kaeri or turn-back) and
the extensive hakikake or brush strokes visible here. The nie-deki hamon in
suguha has a passing resemblance to that produced in Hizen province but lacks
the order and tidiness of the nie seen there (some swords from Bungo province do
indeed resemble Hizen-to and it is believed that there was considerable exchange
between the two provinces).
The
blade was submitted to the 2008 shinsa held in London, England by the NTHK and
was attributed to Bungo Fujiwara Yukinaga by the panel. This swordsmith is
considered as representative of Bungo province swordsmiths from the Shinto
period, to the extent that his working style is used to illustrate their style
in Nihonto Koza (Shinto). Swordmaking in Bungo province in Kyushu dates back to
at least the early Kamakura period, the most renowned smith being Bungo Yukihira
who may have been a Gobankaji or one of the swordsmiths that attended and taught
the retired emperor Gotoba.
As
we progress through the Muromachi period, there were many Bungo swordsmiths but
the quality of their workmanship declined and this continued into the Shinto
period where no swordsmiths of any note are to be found. In the early days there
were two families or clans with the of old clan names of Taira and Fujiwara. As
they both were both at the place named Takada, they were called the Taira Takada
and Fujiwara Takada respectively. However by the Shinto period, they had come
together and the Taira name is no longer seen but the Fujiwara name continued
and was usually included in all signatures. Shinto swords are known, therefore,
as Fujiwara Takada.
The
shallow sori of this sword, is considered a characteristic of the group, but the
jihada is more predominant than usual. Suguha hamon in nie deki are not uncommon
in shinto Bungo swords and boshi with hakikake are encountered but reasonably
rare. Given these, it may be said that this sword has a number of idiosyncratic
features that are somewhat more
interesting than the average Fujiwara Takada blade, in spite of the lack of
signature on the nakago. The rather large kissaki helps give the impression of
sharpness and is consistent with Bungo swords being considered practical but
lacking in artistic merit. Fujishiro states in Shinto Jiten that Yukinaga was
active around the Manji period (1658) and rates him as Chu-saku and ryowazamono
(very sharp). He further states that, as with this sword, his swords are mostly
in “ordinary” suguha. His signatures were Fujiwara
Yukinaga and Hosho Takada ju Fujiwara
Yukinaga.
Tsuba:
The round iron tsuba, of an abstract sukashi design, is signed Shoami Shigenobu on the seppa-dai. Shigenobu was part of the Aizu Shoami group of tsuba makers who were not known for their good work because it has been said, they lacked the support of the local daimyo and were forced to work without patronage. In the latter half of the 19th century they made many copies of famous makers for the foreign tourists at Yokohama.
Clive Sinclaire
10th May 2009