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About the maker

Shimada Hirosuke廣助

Hirosuke was a leading smith of the Shimada school in Suruga Province, a lineage that flourished from the mid-Muromachi period beginning with Yoshisuke and continuing into the *shinto* era. Sword reference works record Hirosuke as the son of the second-generation Yoshisuke, active around the Eisho era (1504-1521), with several later generations bearing the same name extending into the Tensho period and beyond. Within the Shimada group, three smiths -- Yoshisuke, Sukemune, and Hirosuke -- are regarded as the most accomplished masters, and among them Hirosuke displays the most robust style, conveying a sense of forceful spirit. The school's workmanship is thought to have been strongly influenced by Soshu, Ise, and Mino traditions. Hirosuke is known for favoring bold, powerful constructions with a wide *mihaba*. His katana characteristically display *sakizori* with extended *chu-kissaki* or *o-kissaki*, producing a vigorous and imposing impression. The forging is typically *itame-hada* with slightly standing grain, sometimes flowing into *nagare-hada* and mixed with *o-hada*, with adhering *ji-nie* and a somewhat whitish tendency in the *jigane*. His *hamon* is most often a *ko-notare* base mixed with *gunome* and *choji*-like elements, with well-entered *ashi*, *sunagashi*, and *ko-nie* adhering in a deep *nioi*; *kinsuji* frequently enter, and *tobiyaki* and slight *muneyaki* appear in some works. The *boshi* tends toward *midare-komi* turning back in *ko-maru*, sometimes with *hakikake*. Among his finer pieces, the *nioiguchi* is bright, and the interior activities within the tempering are described as superb. The *horimono* found on certain examples -- including *bonji*, *suken*, and *gomabashi* -- are particularly uncommon for this smith. Hirosuke's best works number among the finest productions of the entire Shimada lineage. One katana is described as a standout -- *hakubi*, "the best among its kind" -- with a suggestion that the maker privately emulated the style of such masters as Bizen Chogi. A rare collaborative work with Gensuke demonstrates the collegial relationships within the Shimada group. His dated works and those bearing the full signature "Shimada Hirosuke" are especially prized, including a katana inscribed as a *Koshu-uchi* work dated Eiroku 2 (1559) that was once the possession of Hara Mino Nyudo Toratane, one of the celebrated Twenty-Four Generals of the Takeda. An example held in the Imperial Collection further attests to the esteem in which his work was held.

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