Hizen Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi

忠吉

4 ranked works

On the market now1 work

JūyōVol. 22, No. 346 · Katana

Overview

Tosa no Kami occupies a position of singular ambiguity within the tradition. The observe that "there are many competing theories, and it remains uncertain who he actually was," though "there is no doubt that he stood in a very close relationship to the first-generation ." It is transmitted that when the first-generation changed his name to Tadahiro in Kan'ei 1 (1624), the signature was transferred to this smith, who subsequently received the court titles Tosa no Jo and then Tosa no Kami. The third-generation Mutsu no Kami , the legitimate heir of the second-generation Omi no Daijo Tadahiro, predeceased his father, and surviving works by both Tosa no Kami and Mutsu no Kami are comparatively rare.

Across extant designations, the hallmarks of the school are consistently evident. The ranges from tightly forged with well-adhering to dense of fine quality. The encompasses both spirited -ba -- including mixed with and , with deep and well-adhering and -- and the vigorous with intermingled characteristic of the school's more animated works. Blades attributed before the receipt of the Tosa title display particularly fine workmanship, with the described as "well-forged and tightly refined."

The emphasize both the rarity and the scholarly value of these works. The Kan'ei 1 dated blade is described as "extremely valuable material for the study of swords," as it sits at the precise moment of the name transfer from first-generation to successor. Among the broader tradition, by any generation are noted as "few in number," lending additional significance to the third-generation's contribution in that form. Across all attributions, the consistent refinement of both and affirms the intimate continuity linking these smiths to the founding standards of the school.

Historical importance

Where Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi 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

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Designations

Kokuhō—
Jūyō Bunkazai—
Jūyō Bijutsuhin—
Gyobutsu1
Tokubetsu Jūyō—
Jūyō Tōken3

Elite Standing

Dated Works

Currently Available

Lineage

TeacherTadayoshi
Tosa no Kami Tadayoshi

Other artisans of the Hizen school

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  2. 2.Tadayoshi忠吉2 for sale61designated
  3. 3.Tadahiro忠廣25 for sale133designated
  4. 4.Tadakuni忠國7 for sale32designated
  5. 5.Masahiro正廣2 for sale30designated
  6. 6.Masahiro正廣3 for sale26designated
  7. 7.Yukihiro行廣9 for sale15designated
  8. 8.Munetsugu宗次2 for sale15designated
  9. 9.Munetsugu宗次4designated
  10. 10.Yukihiro行廣1 for sale4designated
  11. 11.Yoshiie吉家4designated
  12. 12.Yoshinobu吉信4designated

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