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Overview·Historical importance·Designations·Provenance·Lineage·School
OverviewHistorical importanceDesignationsProvenanceLineageSchool
  1. Schools
  2. Senoo
  3. Yukizane

Senoo Yukizane

行眞

Tokujū
Vol. 10, No. 31 · Tachi

Senoo Yukizane

行眞

4 ranked works

Major smith
ProvinceBitchuErac. 1260–1261PeriodKamakuraSchoolSenooTraditionBizen-denTypeSwordsmithCodeYUK425
1Jūyō Bunkazai
1Jūyō Bijutsuhin
1Tokubetsu Jūyō1Jūyō Tōken

Overview

Yukizane (行真) was a swordsmith of the Seno group in Province, active during the period. The smiths are broadly divided into two lineages: the smiths — Moritsugu, Tametsugu, Sadatsugu, and others — who commonly employ the character "tsugu" in their names and forged along the basin of the Takahashi River, and the Seno smiths, situated to the east toward , who rarely incorporate that character. Seno is known as a place developed by Seno Taro Kaneyasu, a retainer of the Taira. The Kokon Meizukushi records Yukizane as a son of Suemasa within the Seno lineage, and sword- manuals list several smiths of this name from the period through around the Oei era. Extant works by Yukizane are few, making each surviving example of considerable documentary importance.

Yukizane's present an old-fashioned, imposing form with wide , a pronounced taper to the tip, lofty , and a . The forging shows mixed with , with a slightly standing grain and areas of -like texture toward the edge — a recognized hallmark of Seno workmanship. Fine forms densely, appears, and -like mottling gives the ground a distinctive jiban-toned character. The is based on , mixed with , , and a -like feeling; and enter well, forms throughout the temper, and fine and slight appear. The is vigorously , becoming a flame-like -style appearance — a particularly striking feature. The typically displays or file marks with a finely chiseled two-character signature on the , clearly expressing distinctive features of Seno workmanship.

The has described Yukizane's best works as possessing a dignified, imposing presence and a subdued, deeply flavorful character, with both and in — sound and well-preserved — condition. As the Genki Mekikisho observes, Seno blades convey a temperament "resembling work," and Yukizane's indeed carries something of a flavor even as the and file-mark conventions identify the hand unmistakably as Seno. It is especially desirable that his surviving retain with original signatures, providing irreplaceable source material for the study of this maker.

Historical importance

Where Yukizane 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 Bunkazai1
Jūyō Bijutsuhin1
Gyobutsu—
Tokubetsu Jūyō1
Jūyō Tōken1

Elite Standing

Provenance

Currently Available

Lineage

Yukizane
Students (2)
  1. 1.Munemitsu宗光
  2. 2.Muneyoshi宗吉

Senoo School

Other artisans of the Senoo school

  1. 1.Yukikuni行國1designated
  2. 2.Munetada宗忠1designated
  3. 3.Saneyuki眞行1 for sale3designated
  4. 4.Kaneyasu包安1designated
  5. 5.Moritsune守恒2designated
  6. 6.Munesada宗貞1designated
  7. 7.Noritaka則高2designated
  8. 8.Noritsune則恒1designated
  9. 9.Noritsune則常1designated
  10. 10.Sukezane助眞3designated
  11. 11.Tokizane時眞1designated
  12. 12.Tsuneto常遠1designated

Yukizane

Yukizane(行眞) was a Japanese swordsmith of the Senoo school in Bitchu province, active during the Hoji (1247-1249) period.

The work follows the Bizen-den tradition.

Designated works by Yukizane include 1 Jūyō Bunkazai (Important Cultural Property), 1 Tokubetsu Jūyō, 1 Jūyō.