Bungo Takeda school - Fujiwara Yukinaga wakizashi

[stephan_hiller]

I recently acquired a nice wakizashi in good Japanese polish. The wakizashi is signed Fujiwara Yukinaga who was a member of the Bungo Takeda school. In the "The Connisseurs Book of Japanese Swords" from Kokan Nagayama the Bungo schools are covered only very shortly and from the text I understand that the Bungo Takeda school swords are not really much sought-after. However, I am asking for your opinion on the wakizashi and it would be great if someone has some oshigatas of "Fujiwara Yukinaga" so that I may be able to determine which of the "Yukinaga" made my sword. In Hawleys are several smitsh signing this way and they all seem to have worked in the early Shinto period. If someone has more background details about this school than can be found in Nihonto Koza (AFU Translation), Connisseurs Book ..., or Hawleys I would greatly appreciate if you could share this knowledge with me.

 

Stephan

[Ludolf Richter]

There are a lot of mei-pics in my books,but only from the most prominent one of the 3 generations of (Bungo Takada or Fujiwara Takada school) Yukinaga,i.e.Sandai Yukinaga,who was active in the Kanbun-era:Hawley YUK 354 (I believe YUK 355 is the same swordsmith!).Your Mei was definitely not made by him,so it could be from Shodai or Nidai.A Gimei is unlikely.Ludolf

Sources:Fujishiro/Shinto hen p.409,Tokuno p.705,Iida p.433,Shinto Bengi Oshigata,Shinto Taikan p.321,Art and the Sword 1991 p.26,Yushu to Zuroku (YTZ) vol.3 no.100,2 REI magazines and 2 examples via Google.In Compton part 3 there is a no.135,which was not papered (why?),but the Mei is different from the Sandai's and yours.

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Somethings do not match on this blade: nakago-jiri (ha-agari kurijiri in bungo takada), jigane (coarse ko-itame) and boshi (maru with a kaeri).

[stephan_hiller]

Ludolf, Jacques,

 

Many thanks for your reply. I will try to get hold of these references to get more information about the Bungo Takada school and Yukinaga in particular.

 

@Jacques,

 

Thanks for your information. But why do you have concerns about the nakago-jiri? Is is kurijiri. With regard to the boshi it really has no kaeri. I noticed that Nihonto Koza states that boshi with kaeri were most common but also other boshis like hakkake can be found. However, the hamon suguba/suguha is common for Bungo Takada school and yasurime is sujikai which is also in line with other Yukinaga/Bungo Takada swords. I agree with you that my blade seems to be not 100 % typical for this school but I don't assume that someone would make a gimei blade with Bungo Takeda school. They were never prized for their artistical value but more for their practical merits. In terms of the hada, do you think it is not coarse enough?

 

Stephan

[takakage]

Hi,

this blade seems little machi okuri and little suriage that could be explain why the nakago jri is different to the takada shinto school

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Yes Patrick, that could be.

 

Stephan,

 

About the jigane, i find (it is just my opinion, not an expert judgement) this one a little bit stretched to be a ko-itame.

 

Concerning the boshi, there are some with hakkikake but it seems they have a kaeri too

like this one

[Yoshii]

Hi Out there,

I do own a mu mei katana with a Tokubetsu Kicho paper from the Bijutsu Nihonto Hozon Shinsakai.

It dose have a kiri jiri and kiri yasurime. the hamon is suguha.

From all the Yukinaga who are listed in Hawley, yuk 354 was the best.

He is said to have hold the title of Yamato no kami.

His stronghold was the suguha hamon.

Greetings Jos