-, 47th Session — Designated October 11, 2001
, : Yoshioka (吉岡一文字)
Measurements 61.7 cm, 0.8 cm, 2.5 cm, 1.8 cm, 2.6 cm, 13.9 cm, none
Description Keijō: with ; standard; little difference between and width; shallow ; . : Dense ; fine ; minute ; conspicuous . : mixed with and ; with and ; -dominant with ; fine and ; appears in places; the is bright. : Slightly , tending toward ; the tip shows and contains . : On both sides, a with accompanying ; on the both are carved through (), and on the both run off (kaki-nagashi). : Greatly shortened (); is shallow ; : () unclear, () ; one ; unsigned.
Artisan Yoshioka school (吉岡一文字派)
Era Late to period
Explanation The Yoshioka lineage—represented by smiths such as Sukemitsu, Sukeyoshi, Sukeshige, Suketsugu, and Sukeyoshi—flourished from the late period into the period, taking the place of the earlier Fukuoka group. While works in an expansive, flamboyant of large patterning reminiscent of Fukuoka are sometimes seen, many examples are of smaller scale, in which prominent stands out within the . There are also blades in a more -based manner with and mixed in, calm works of with , and on occasion examples showing a tendency toward .
This shows a tightly forged with fine , delicate , and clearly standing . The is fundamentally mixed with , enlivened by and ; it is -dominant with , and displays fine and , with interspersed here and there—overall producing a bright . Compared with Fukuoka , however, the variations in are fewer, and the prominence within the of and is notable; accordingly, it is appropriate to appraise the blade as Yoshioka . The softly felt yet bright is particularly noteworthy.
