This is a tachi by Bishu Osafune Shigeyoshi from the Nanbokucho period. It is designated as Juyo Token by NBTHK. The blade features a clear itame hada and a small notare hamon with various types of ha, typical of the "small sori" group of swordsmiths.
長船重吉について、銘鑑では鎌倉時代後期から南北朝時代最末期の明徳まで数代挙げているが、明徳頃の重吉以外の作品は殆ど確認されて いない。世上に残る多くの長船重吉の作品は、銘振りや作風より、所謂小反り物と通称される刀工群の一人として考えられている。また、年紀 には明徳の他に応永元年の作品なども知られており、小反り物から応永備前への移行期に活躍した刀工と見なすことが出来る。 この太刀は、板目に杢を交えてやや肌立ち、乱れ映りが鮮明に現れ、匂勝ちの小のたれを主調とし、そこに多種の刃を交えてこずんだ刃文は、 如何にも小反り一類らしい作風で、出来映えも秀でている。加えて、在銘年紀作であることは、作品の少ない同工の作風を知る上でも資料性が 高く、大変好ましいものである。区送りながらも、元孔と銘字の位置関係及び反りの高い姿から、太刀として作成されたものと確認し得るが、 刀工銘を刀銘に飾っていることが珍しく、この期の希少な作例として注目される。なお、本作には江戸時代後期と鑑せられる糸巻太刀拵も付帯 しており、作品の価値をより高めている。
NihontoWatchmei · Osafune · Meitoku (1390-1394) ND · nagasa 60.9cm · sori 2cm
Bizen-den · Bizen · around 1390-1394
Tōken Taikan top 31%
Osafune Shigeyoshi (重吉), third generation, worked in Bizen Province during the Meitoku era (1390-1394) and belongs to the group of late Nanbokucho-period Osafune smiths commonly referred to as ko-sorimono ("small-curvature works"). According to sword catalogs, the first generation was the son of Kagesuke and worked during the Kagen era, the second generation during Genko, and the third generation during the Joji and Meitoku periods. The ko-sorimono smiths constitute a distinct group within Osafune that does not belong to the lineages of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Motoshige, Morikage, and the like. Besides dated examples from Meitoku, blades dated Oei 1 are also known, placing Shigeyoshi at the transitional phase from the ko-sorimono group toward what is termed Oei-Bizen.
The kitae characteristically displays itame-hada mixed with mokume and flowing grain, with the texture standing slightly and fine ji-nie attaching. A vivid midare-utsuri frequently appears. The hamon is predominantly ko-notare-based, into which gunome, choji, and pointed (togari-gokoro) elements are interwoven; in certain works the midare becomes a fine, small-patterned complexity thoroughly characteristic of the ko-sorimono manner. The temper is nioi-gachi with ko-nie, and slight tobiyaki may appear, yielding a bright nioiguchi. Among the ko-sorimono smiths, conspicuous individuality is generally not seen; the forging tends to display a mixture of various hada textures, and the hamon is at times somewhat uneven, tending to become slightly subdued (kozumu).
Shigeyoshi is a smith whose surviving works are extremely rare, making each confirmed piece of considerable documentary importance. Works that are both signed and dated are especially valuable as reference material for understanding the ko-sorimono school. The signature is characteristically small in scale, and in at least one instance is presented as a decorative, embellished tachi-mei -- a rare treatment for the period that warrants particular attention. Despite the general uniformity ascribed to the ko-sorimono group, Shigeyoshi's finest works display notably accomplished workmanship, and the inclusion of a blade in the Imperial Collection further attests to the esteem in which his production is held.
Where Shigeyoshi 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.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Years he was demonstrably active, proven by signed-and-dated blades
Bizen-den · Bizen
24 pieces on the market now
The Kozori (小反り) form a loose body of Bizen smiths who worked at and around Osafune in the closing decades of the Nanbokucho period and on into early Muromachi, and the NBTHK defines them less by descent than by exclusion: they are the late-Osafune hands who fall outside the specific lineages of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Motoshige and the Omiya group, gathered under one name as a convenience. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Hidemitsu秀光 | 1375-1392 | 19 |
| Iesuke家助 | 1394-1428 | 11 |
| Iemori家守 | 1377-1406 | 15 |
| Nariie成家 | 1352-1362 | 21 |
| Moromitsu師光 | 1375-1390 | 7 |
A blade of top-grade workmanship and condition, formally judged to rank with a nationally recognized Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin). Awarded only at the NBTHK’s competitive annual examination.
Of Japan’s roughly 2.5 million registered swords, only 12,307 (about 1 in 203) have ever attained Jūyō.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteCustomer-initiated returns accepted within two days of arrival; return shipping paid by customer and fees non-refundable. Returns/refunds unavailable for overseas deliveries.
This is a tachi by Bishu Osafune Shigeyoshi from the Nanbokucho period. It is designated as Juyo Token by NBTHK. The blade features a clear itame hada and a small notare hamon with various types of ha, typical of the "small sori" group of swordsmiths.
長船重吉について、銘鑑では鎌倉時代後期から南北朝時代最末期の明徳まで数代挙げているが、明徳頃の重吉以外の作品は殆ど確認されて いない。世上に残る多くの長船重吉の作品は、銘振りや作風より、所謂小反り物と通称される刀工群の一人として考えられている。また、年紀 には明徳の他に応永元年の作品なども知られており、小反り物から応永備前への移行期に活躍した刀工と見なすことが出来る。 この太刀は、板目に杢を交えてやや肌立ち、乱れ映りが鮮明に現れ、匂勝ちの小のたれを主調とし、そこに多種の刃を交えてこずんだ刃文は、 如何にも小反り一類らしい作風で、出来映えも秀でている。加えて、在銘年紀作であることは、作品の少ない同工の作風を知る上でも資料性が 高く、大変好ましいものである。区送りながらも、元孔と銘字の位置関係及び反りの高い姿から、太刀として作成されたものと確認し得るが、 刀工銘を刀銘に飾っていることが珍しく、この期の希少な作例として注目される。なお、本作には江戸時代後期と鑑せられる糸巻太刀拵も付帯 しており、作品の価値をより高めている。
NihontoWatchmei · Osafune · Meitoku (1390-1394) ND · nagasa 60.9cm · sori 2cm
Bizen-den · Bizen · around 1390-1394
Tōken Taikan top 31%
Osafune Shigeyoshi (重吉), third generation, worked in Bizen Province during the Meitoku era (1390-1394) and belongs to the group of late Nanbokucho-period Osafune smiths commonly referred to as ko-sorimono ("small-curvature works"). According to sword catalogs, the first generation was the son of Kagesuke and worked during the Kagen era, the second generation during Genko, and the third generation during the Joji and Meitoku periods. The ko-sorimono smiths constitute a distinct group within Osafune that does not belong to the lineages of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Motoshige, Morikage, and the like. Besides dated examples from Meitoku, blades dated Oei 1 are also known, placing Shigeyoshi at the transitional phase from the ko-sorimono group toward what is termed Oei-Bizen.
The kitae characteristically displays itame-hada mixed with mokume and flowing grain, with the texture standing slightly and fine ji-nie attaching. A vivid midare-utsuri frequently appears. The hamon is predominantly ko-notare-based, into which gunome, choji, and pointed (togari-gokoro) elements are interwoven; in certain works the midare becomes a fine, small-patterned complexity thoroughly characteristic of the ko-sorimono manner. The temper is nioi-gachi with ko-nie, and slight tobiyaki may appear, yielding a bright nioiguchi. Among the ko-sorimono smiths, conspicuous individuality is generally not seen; the forging tends to display a mixture of various hada textures, and the hamon is at times somewhat uneven, tending to become slightly subdued (kozumu).
Shigeyoshi is a smith whose surviving works are extremely rare, making each confirmed piece of considerable documentary importance. Works that are both signed and dated are especially valuable as reference material for understanding the ko-sorimono school. The signature is characteristically small in scale, and in at least one instance is presented as a decorative, embellished tachi-mei -- a rare treatment for the period that warrants particular attention. Despite the general uniformity ascribed to the ko-sorimono group, Shigeyoshi's finest works display notably accomplished workmanship, and the inclusion of a blade in the Imperial Collection further attests to the esteem in which his production is held.
Where Shigeyoshi 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.
Select a lens to see how it's measured.
Years he was demonstrably active, proven by signed-and-dated blades
Bizen-den · Bizen
24 pieces on the market now
The Kozori (小反り) form a loose body of Bizen smiths who worked at and around Osafune in the closing decades of the Nanbokucho period and on into early Muromachi, and the NBTHK defines them less by descent than by exclusion: they are the late-Osafune hands who fall outside the specific lineages of Kanemitsu, Chogi, Motoshige and the Omiya group, gathered under one name as a convenience. Learn more →
| Smith | Era | Designated |
|---|---|---|
| Hidemitsu秀光 | 1375-1392 | 19 |
| Iesuke家助 | 1394-1428 | 11 |
| Iemori家守 | 1377-1406 | 15 |
| Nariie成家 | 1352-1362 | 21 |
| Moromitsu師光 | 1375-1390 | 7 |
A blade of top-grade workmanship and condition, formally judged to rank with a nationally recognized Important Art Object (Jūyō Bijutsuhin). Awarded only at the NBTHK’s competitive annual examination.
Of Japan’s roughly 2.5 million registered swords, only 12,307 (about 1 in 203) have ever attained Jūyō.
The NBTHK (Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, the Society for the Preservation of Japanese Art Swords) is a public-interest incorporated foundation founded in 1948 and supervised by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs (Bunkachō); it is based at the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo. Its expert panels physically examine each submitted work (shinsa) and issue a certificate (kanteishō) ranking it by artistic and historical merit. NBTHK papers are the most widely recognized standard of authentication for Japanese swords and fittings.
NBTHK official siteCustomer-initiated returns accepted within two days of arrival; return shipping paid by customer and fees non-refundable. Returns/refunds unavailable for overseas deliveries.
