The group of Province traces its origins to the swordsmith Kunimori, who is traditionally said to have relocated from Inokuma- in Yamashiro Province to , where the lineage took root at . The school flourished from the late period through the and eras. Recent scholarship has prompted a re-examination of the conventional understanding: Morikage—long regarded as the school's representative smith and known for cutting long signatures such as "Bishū Morikage"—is now understood to have been a collateral-line smith belonging to the lineage of Chikakage and Yoshikage, based on shared stylistic traits and the commonality of signature characters cut with (reverse-chisel technique). A newer view holds that the smiths who cut bold two-character signatures in thick chisel strokes—such as "Morikage" and "Moritsugu"—are more properly the genuine smiths in the sense of directly inheriting Kunimori's line.
workmanship is characterized by frequently mixed with and , often showing a tendency toward standing grain; thick densely applied, with abundant entering well; and the appearance of . The presents a brilliant, florid temper mixing , , and angular elements (), with conspicuous undulation and variation in the temper height; -flavored forms and "open-hipped" () frequently appear, producing a lively, changeful pattern. Dense and enter; adheres well; and fine and run through the temper, often accompanied by . The typically enters in , turning back with a pointed tendency (-gokoro) and showing at the tip. When compared to mainstream work, blades impart a somewhat rougher impression; this rustic quality, together with vigorous in both and , constitutes the distinctive appeal and character of the school.
The working range of the group is notably broad. Among extant works one can observe considerable stylistic variety: some display in an -like manner; others mix in a reminiscent of Kanemitsu; still others show in the manner of Motoshige. Blades traditionally attributed to through (authentication) often exhibit more flamboyant and varied tempering than signed works, with conspicuous mixed into the pattern. -period examples typically show a broad with little taper from base to tip, shallow , and an extended or , embodying the powerful, imposing aesthetic of the period. The school's distinctive features are expressed through a robust, sound construction combined with bright, -laden ground and temper, yielding blades with ample dignity and presence that clearly manifest the characteristic style of this collateral lineage.