Toronto Token Kai

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Toronto Token Kai

• Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre
• January 15, 2005

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Hizento of the Shinto Era Waki Hizen SmithShodai
Masahiro

• Barry Hennick

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Aims of the presentation

• To introduce Hizento
• To provide examples of the range of work of
  Shodai Masahiro
• To teach you how to look at a sword
• To let you handle swords
• To teach you how to compare swords
• To challenge you to apply what you learned in an
  attempt to solidify your knowledge

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Hizen
Hizen
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Mainline Hizento Saga Castle TownNabeshima
Naoshige Daimyo

• Shodai Tadayoshi aka Tadahiro 1572-1633 (son of
  Hashimoto Michihiro) was the founder of the Hizen
  Tadayoshi school ca. 1596
• His teachers were Munetsugu and Umetada Myoju (he
  gave the Tada character to Tadayoshi)
• The Tadayoshi line lasted until 1871 (9th
  generation)
• The school, sponsored by the Nabeshima Daimyo,
  had up to 100 workers producing swords
• The school used traditional methods

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Waki Hizen The Sideline smiths

• Masahiro Topic of this talk
• Tadakuni,
• Yoshinobu,
• Yukihiro,
• Munetsugu,
• Kunihiro,
• Yoshihiro

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Mainline Blade Characteristics

• Great koto shape sharp Saijo - o wazmono
  wazamono
• Great steel made in the traditional manner (many
  Shinto smiths used imported steel)

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Boshi and Kissaki

• Chu kissaki (medium size point)
• Ko maru with kaeri (small circle temper line in
  point) Hizen Boshi

Temper line follows the kissaki
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Blade form and curvature

• Shinogi zukuri (blade with ridge line)
• Torii sori (center of curvature is in the center
  of the blades cutting edge)

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Tang and mei
Kiri

• Signed tachi mei
• Kiri yasurime (straight file marks)
• Kengyo (pointed both sides equal) or kuri-jiri
• Few dated works
• Nakago mune on katana have some niku, kaku mune
  on wakizashi tanto

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Grain and Temper line

• Konuka hada/ Nashiji hada aka Hizen hada a
  tight ko mokume/ko itame (rice grain/ pear skin)
• Nei deki - usually wide thick line of
  temperindividual crystals are visible.
• Suguha, midareba hamon starts above ha-machi
  (gunome-midare, choji-midare)

Note nei in valleys
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Shodai Masahiro

• 1607 - February 5, 1665 born in Saga City
• Son of Yoshinobu (1587-1633) and the daughter of
  Shodai Tadayoshi. He was later adopted by
  Tadayoshi.
• He would have taken over the family business but
  Tadayoshi had a son, who later became Nidai
  Tadahiro
• His teachers were both Yoshinobu (father) and
  Shodai Tadayoshi (grandfather and stepfather)
• Iwata Takashi in Token Bijutsu 53, page 12
  wrote, Around the time Shodai Tadahiro passed
  away, it is very probable Shodai Masahiro was the
  most skilled swordmaker in the entire Hashimoto
  family.

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Masahiro and his names

• Masahiros common name was Sadenjiro
• Later in life he was called Yashichibei
• He first signed his swords Masanaga
• Lord Nabeshima gave him the hiro character to use
  and he became Masahiro (Nov. 19, 1625)
• April 27, 1628 given the title Kawachi Daijo
  (title used in 1641 or 1644 onward). When working
  for the Daimyo he didnt use the title.

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Masahiros Work Style

• Shinogi zukuri katana and wakizashi, few tanto. I
  have seen no yari or naginata. Torii sori
• Chu kissaki (somewhat extended) ko-maru boshi
  with kaeri (Hizen boshi)
• Tight ko itame hada in suguha blades somewhat
  looser hada in midareba blades Konuka hada (Hizen
  hada) masame hada in shinogi-ji
• Midare, gunome, choji, suguha - lots of kinsuji,
  chikei and sunagashi long ashi more flamboyant
  than the main line smiths hamon starts below
  the ha-machi
• Nakago iri yamagata, kaku mune (follows
  convention) katte sagari, o sujikai or sujikai
  yasurime

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Masahiros Mei

• Masanaga (no examples found)
• Hizen no Kuni Saga Ju Fujiwara Masahiro
  (1627-1639)
• Hizen no Kuni Kawachi Daijo Fujiwara Masahiro
• Hizen no Kuni Masahiro (large mei)
• Hizen no Kuni Kawachi Daijo Fujiwara Masa (hiro)
  (small mei) later in his career

Yasurime
W W
K W
1 2
3 4
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Description of specific blades
S HA P E
T E M P E R
P O I N T
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Description continued
T A N G
S I G N E D
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Blade Measurements
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Mei

• Placement of signature on tang near the mune,
  relative to the mekugi ana
• Quality of chisel marks depth, width
• What does it say?
• Check the Kuni character and the Masa character
  and look for any changes

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Kuni and Masa
Old Kuni Character
New Kuni Character
Old Masa Character
New Masa Character
Images taken from Hizento Handbook by Eiguchi
Soshin
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Kuni
Kuni Character from my swords
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Masa
Masa character from my swords
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Handling my swords

• By picking up my sword you agree to pay for any
  damage you cause to the sword.
• Hold the blade with two hands.
• Do not talk while holding the sword.
• Do not touch the blade with your bare hands.
• Use the paper provided to hold the sword. Use
  only the inner paper to touch the blade.
• Do not swing the sword or test it for cutting
  ability.

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Viewing the Blade

• Hold the sword with the tang at eye level to look
  at the shape of the blade note the curvature
  and size of point, any change in width from
  habaki to yokote line
• Rotate the blade to see if it is bent and if it
  is sharp near the habaki (ububa)
• Point the tip towards the light at about a 30o
  angle to view the temper line follow the line

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Viewing the blade (contd)

• Hold the blade parallel to the ground to look at
  the hada (grain pattern).
• Look at the tang of the sword
• Overall shape note taper
• Back of tang flat or rounded
• Tip of tang iri yamagata, kiri other
• Yasurime file marks direction, eveness, quality
• Mekugi ana location with respect to mei

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Jinei
Nei
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Hada and Hamon
Konuka hada
Nei in Valley
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Hataraki activities in the blade
Sunagashi and Choji
Look at the nei in the valleys
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Utushi copies of famous works

• Rai Kunimitsu suguha, geometry, activity
• Naoe Shizu narrow suguha gunome in a clump
  kinsuji, sunagashi
• Sue-Tegai hoso-suguha leaning boshi
• Muramasa and Sue Bizen suguha gunome temper
  line the same on both sides
• Konote-gashira one side suguha other midareba
  choji-midare gunome
• Kagemitsu, Yamato, Chogi among others

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Bibliography

• The School of Tadayoshi Saga, Hizen 1598-1871 by
  Roger Robertshaw 1999
• Hizento Handbook by Eguchi Soshin translated by
  Gordon Robson 1997
• Hizen no Katana to Tsuba by N. Fukunaga 1974
• Nihon Toko Jiten (Shinto-Hen) by S. Fujishiro
  translated by Harry Watson 1984
• Shinto Taikan by Y. Iimura 1976
• Nihonto Koza volume 4 translated by Harry Watson
• Token Bijutsu English Edition 53 pg. 12-18

In English
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Bibliography cont

• Hizento by Dr. Suiken Fukunaga
• JSSUS Newsletter Vol. 19 2 pg. 17, Vol. 19 3
  pg. 15 Vol. 15 1
• Art and The Sword Vol. 1 1988
• To contact me by email barry_at_hennick.ca
• by phone [phone]

In English