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Overview·Historical importance·Designations·Dated Works·Blade Forms·Signatures·Lineage·School
OverviewHistorical importanceDesignationsDated WorksBlade FormsSignaturesLineageSchool
  1. Schools
  2. Aoe
  3. Chū-Aoe
  4. Suketsugu

Chu-Aoe Suketsugu

助次

Tokujū
Vol. 6, No. 40 · Tachi

Chu-Aoe Suketsugu

助次

6 ranked works

Major smith
ProvinceBitchuEraShowa (1312–1317)PeriodKamakuraSchoolAoe>Chu-AoeTraditionBizen-denToko Taikan900(top 10%)TypeSwordsmithCodeSUK574
1Tokubetsu Jūyō5Jūyō Tōken

Overview

Suketsugu is traditionally said to have been the son of Toshitsugu, and the succession of this name extends across a broad span from the early period through the period. According to reference works on signatures, there were at least three generations of smiths using the name, with activity recorded across the eras of Jokyu, Showa, Enbun, Eitoku, and Oei. The smith of the late period, active around Showa 1 (1312), is identified as belonging to and is the most prominently represented in designated works. His signed pieces bear long inscriptions cut with a thick chisel in large, boldly formed characters, sometimes including the place-name designation "Ko'i Toshosho" and the notation "resident of Senoo," establishing that the Senoo smiths and the smiths, once thought distinct, had by the period merged into a single tradition centered in the lower basin of the Takahashi River.

The technical hallmarks of Suketsugu's work are firmly grounded in the school's characteristic idiom. The forging presents mixed with , sometimes tending toward , with the grain standing out; fine adheres densely, appear, and emerges in forms ranging from faint streaks to . The is -based with a shallow tone, mixed with , -, and pointed ; and enter, and adheres well with running through. The is typically straight, turning back in or , sometimes with . In certain works the is rather thick and the construction bold and powerful, while later-period examples show the with reversed-slant that clearly exhibits the style of .

Works by Suketsugu occupy a position of particular documentary and scholarly importance within the tradition. The Showa 1 date appearing on multiple pieces represents the earliest known date among extant -made swords, and the long inscriptions, including the "Gyobu no Jo" title and age inscription on the Bunpo 2 (1318) , constitute invaluable source material for the study of medieval swordsmithing. The has noted that although individual pieces may show a slight suggestion of in the , the works overall preserve an archaic and elegant taste while clearly expressing the characteristic features of workmanship, presenting a representative archetype of production of this period.

Historical importance

Where Suketsugu 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—
Gyobutsu—
Tokubetsu Jūyō1
Jūyō Tōken5

Elite Standing

Dated Works

Blade Forms

Distribution across 6 ranked works

Signatures

Signature types across 6 ranked works

Currently Available

Lineage

Suketsugu
Student
  1. 1.Suketane助植

Chu-Aoe School

Other artisans of the Chu-Aoe school

  1. 1.Tsugunao次直25designated
  2. 2.Naotsugu直次15designated
  3. 3.Yoshitsugu吉次1 for sale17designated
  4. 4.Moritsugu守次9designated
  5. 5.Tsuguyoshi次吉19designated
  6. 6.Sadatsugu貞次1 for sale16designated
  7. 7.Naotsugu直次5designated
  8. 8.Nobutsugu延次3designated
  9. 9.Chikatsugu親次1designated
  10. 10.Chikatsugu親次1designated
  11. 11.Suetsugu末次2designated
  12. 12.Suetsugu末次1designated

Suketsugu

Suketsugu(助次) was a Japanese swordsmith of the Chu-Aoe school in Bitchu province, active during the Showa (1312-1317) period.

The work follows the Bizen-den tradition.

Designated works by Suketsugu include 1 Tokubetsu Jūyō, 5 Jūyō.