Sue-Soshu Hiromasa

廣正

2 ranked works

Nothing by Hiromasa on the market right now — follow to hear when one appears.

JūyōVol. 21, No. 100 · Wakizashi

Overview

Hiromasa was a swordsmith of ( Province), a name borne by several generations active continuously from the period through to the end of the period. Dated examples are rare, making it difficult to distinguish the individual generations with clarity; however, surviving dated works include blades inscribed Bun'an 5 (1448), Hotoku 2 (1450), Kosho 2 (1456), and Bunmei 3 (1471), placing the documented activity firmly within the mid to late period. A separate Hiromasa of the lineage in Province, traditionally regarded as a son of Yukihiro, is also known from the mid period around the Shohei era, and one blade attributed to this Hiromasa bears a gold-inlaid attribution reading "Ranoke."

The of Hiromasa's -line works is characteristically an tending toward standing grain, with and . The takes the form of , frequently mixed with that develops into (full-temper); , , , and appear, and the tends toward tightness. The typically enters in , sometimes becoming on the , and returns with a pointed tendency. A notable hallmark of this smith's output is the : virtually every signed blade bears elaborate carvings -- , grass-style , , -sho, hatahoko, and renben, often executed in raised relief () within grooves. These carvings are consistently described as "skillfully executed" and "splendid," and they constitute a defining feature of -made blades of this era. The -lineage Hiromasa, by contrast, displays a -based upon which adheres well with a bright, clear -- features that "strongly manifest the characteristics of the tradition."

Works by both lineages receive consistent praise. Of the Hiromasa, the observes that his blades display "both the period character of workmanship and the traditional manner of the ," and individual pieces are assessed as "one representative masterpiece among works of this era." Of the Hiromasa, the forging with accompanied by and a bright, clear leads to the assessment that the blade is "an especially fine example" among works attributed to this smith. Across both traditions, the name Hiromasa represents a sustained lineage of skilled craftsmanship that preserved regional forging idioms through several generations.

Historical importance

Where Hiromasa stands among comparable artisans: across all of nihontō, and within tradition, era, and period. The tiers (Foremost · Leading · Major · Notable) weigh official designations from the NBTHK and Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs, together with historical honors of lasting repute such as the Sansaku and Meibutsu-chō.

随一
Foremost
屈指
Leading
有数
Major
著名
Notable

Select a lens to see how it's measured.

Designations

Kokuhō—
Jūyō Bunkazai—
Jūyō Bijutsuhin—
Gyobutsu1
Tokubetsu Jūyō—
Jūyō Tōken1

Elite Standing

Lineage

Other artisans of the Sue-Soshu school

  1. 1.Tsunahiro綱廣2 for sale14designated
  2. 2.Fusamune總宗5designated
  3. 3.Hiromasa廣正1 for sale4designated
  4. 4.Hirotsugu廣次4 for sale4designated
  5. 5.Kiyohira清平4designated
  6. 6.Tsunaie綱家3designated
  7. 7.Tsunahiro綱廣1 for sale1designated
  8. 8.Yasuharu康春1 for sale1designated
  9. 9.Masahiro正廣7designated
  10. 10.Tsunahiro綱廣1 for sale2designated
  11. 11.Hiromasa廣正1 for sale2designated
  12. 12.Yasukuni康國1designated

More from the Sue-Soshu school

View all →
¥1,380,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Sue-Soshu School 末相州派

Wakizashi · 44.8 cm · Muromachi
Ayakashi
¥1,950,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Sue-Soshu Hirotsugu 廣次

Wakizashi · 55.5 cm · Muromachi
Token-Net
¥190,000Hozon

Sue-Soshu Hirotsugu 廣次

Tantō · 20 cm · Muromachi
Token-Net
On requestTokubetsu Hozon

Sue-Soshu Tsunahiro 綱廣

Wakizashi · 45.6 cm · Bunroku (1592-1596)
Sanmei
¥2,400,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Sue-Soshu Hirotsugu 廣次

Tachi · 71.3 cm · Muromachi
Shoubudou
¥550,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Sue-Soshu School 末相州派

Tantō · 22.3 cm · Muromachi
Tsuruginoya

More from the Soshu school

View all →
On requestTokubetsu Hozon

Soshu Yukimitsu 行光

Katana · 64.9 cm · Kagen (1303-1306)
Tsuruginoya
¥11,500,000Jūyō

Soshu Norishige 則重

Katana · 70.2 cm · Kamakura
Aoi Art
On requestTokubetsu Jūyō

Soshu Yukimitsu 行光

Katana · 72.2 cm · Kamakura
Tsuruginoya
¥6,500,000Jūyō

Soshu Norishige 則重

Tantō · 18 cm · Enkei (1308-1311)
Choshuya
¥6,700,000Jūyō

Soshu Yukimitsu 行光

Tantō · 24.4 cm · Kagen (1303-1306)
Samurai Nippon
On requestJūyō

Soshu Yukimitsu 行光

Tachi · 68.8 cm · Kamakura
Mandarin Mansion
¥1,500,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Soshu Tametsugu 爲繼

Wakizashi · 51.1 cm · Enbun (1356-1361) ND
Aoi Art
¥800,000Hozon

Soshu School 相州派

Tantō · 17.8 cm · Muromachi
Touken Matsumoto

More from the Sōshū tradition

View all →
¥16,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Sa Yasuyoshi 安吉

Tantō · 22.1 cm · Shohei (1346-1370) ND
Onihonto
¥3,200,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Hasebe School 長谷部派

Wakizashi · 26 cm · Nanbokuchō
Hyozaemon
On requestHozon

Muramasa School 村正派

Wakizashi · 31.3 cm · Muromachi
Shoubudou
¥5,800,000Jūyō

Naotsuna 直綱

Tachi · 71.9 cm · Kenmu (1334-1338) ND
Token-Net
¥30,000Jūyō

Hasebe School 長谷部派

Wakizashi · 31.2 cm · Nanbokuchō
Mandarin Mansion
¥40,000Tokubetsu Hozon

Naotsuna 直綱

Katana · 72.7 cm · Kenmu (1334-1338) ND
Tetsugendo
On requestJūyō

Soshu Tametsugu 爲繼

75.7 cm · Nanbokuchō
Nihonto Australia
¥5,800,000Jūyō

Hojoji Masahiro 正弘

Katana · 69.8 cm · Keicho (1596-1615)
Token-Net