Help with information on a Smith

[mike yeon]

Hello Everyone,

 

Just picked up a very nice shinto wakizashi (one of those wide beefy blades (width at hamachi is over 1.5" and tapers very little.)

 

Anyway, the wakizashi is signed "Sagami (no) Kami Fujiwara Kunitsuna" on the other side, it's signed "Echizen Ju". Ubu. (1st kunitsuna from around 1650)

 

I'm 99% positive the signature is genuine, it matches up perfectly with an oshigata from Kanzan Sato's shinto book. It also matched up nicely with a papered Kunitsuna katana I found on the web. Everything else matches including shape of the nakago, yasurime, boshi, hada, etc. EXCEPT for the hamon.

 

The blade I have has a nioi based suguha that starts as slightly wavy notare (about 2.5 inches) and then goes into a very straight suguha. Both examples I saw were gunome/midare. (nagasa is about 17")

 

Anyway, my questions to everyone are:

 

Does anyone have any more info on this smith? What I know is he worked in Echizen, was part of the shimosaka school (wonder what his relation to Yasutsugu was if any).

 

Second question is does anyone have oshigata or examples of his work that have a suguha hamon? He's listed in Fujishiro's as a chu jo saku smith (250 points).

 

Any help/insight would be much appreciated.

 

Thank you

 

mike

[John A Stuart]

Hi Mike, The info I have is sketchy on the Shimosaka line which it seems came from Yamashiro and Omi, but whithin the Echizen Ha is mentioned that it includes Hirosuguba with Ashi and Chusuguba with tight Nioi and Hitatsura. John

[mike yeon]

Wow, that was fast. Much appreciated John. If I'm not mistaken, yamashiro den worked mainly in suguba?

 

Thanks again.

 

mike

 

(P.S. does anyone have a Hawleys they can look this guy up on?)

[Nobody]

Sagami (no) kami Fujiwara Kunitsuna;

http://sinogi.ddo.jp/syasin/katarogu/16 ... 14667.html

 

Echizen ju Sagami (no) kami Fujiwara Kunitsuna;

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/0610_1057syousai.htm

[John A Stuart]

Hi Mike, The Yamashiro-den did have within it kaji who produced swords with suguba hamon of different kinds as well as hamon based on suguba among others. Within the Echizen-ha midare of different types is common but the others I mentioned were produced as well. In Sagami there was notare based on suguba. During these times there was so much movement and interaction of kaji that hamon of various schools could be found within any particular Ha. For example: Echizen- ha, mixture of Yamato and Soshu; Sagami strong Soshu influence; Shimosaka, Yamashiro, Soshu. John

[ironchef.]

Mike, being that you are located in NYC, I have some contacts you can get in touch with to get an evaluation or opinion on your blade. Drop me an email if you like.

 

Ricky

chef_iron@hotmail.com

[mike yeon]

Thank you everyone for all the information. This really helps a lot.

 

As John mentioned, lines start getting blurry at the onset of the shinto period (not as "clear" as the 5 gokaden).

 

Ricky, thanks for the offer, I think I've seen you at the MNYJSC meetings. (I've attended the last couple of meetings). I'll bring in this wakizashi to the Dec 2nd meeting. (and try and post pictures here in the meantime).

 

Thanks again all.

 

mike

[paul V]

Mike

Kunitsuna was indeed a member of the Shimosaka school.

He was called Tahyoeinojo and he worked during the Kanbun era. I have seen several of his swords that had that typical Kambun style.

The quality of his swords might be very different. About a year ago I saw a wakizashi that had many kizu but I have also seen some very nice swords from this smith.

For the moment I have two swords from Kunitsuna with a suguha hamon. Both are papered.

As he is a chu-saku smith I don’t take there are gimei swords.

I never found any information about his relationship with any of the Yasutsugu.

[mike yeon]

Thanks Paul for the added info. The Kunitsuna I have is either the nidai or shodai that worked in Kei-an or Tei-kyo periods (both Echizen smiths.)

 

I think the Kunitsuna that worked during the Kanbun period is from Awa province. He's rated chu-saku. The Echizen Kunitsuna are both rated chu-jo saku.

 

Confusing isn't it?

 

mike

[paul V]

Mike

I am afraid it becomes even more complicated.

Both Kunitsuna blades I have also have the "Echizen ju" on the ura side of the nakago and the katana is a clear exemple of the Kambun style.

The mei matches rather well with the one on page 234 in Fujishiro's Shinto Hen. Fujishiro rates him chusaku and places him in the Kambun period. He also gives only one Kunitsuna from this school.

Does this mean there were 3 Shimosaka Kunitsuna?

Paul

[mike yeon]

Seriously, very confusing. Don't have my books with me but checked sho-shin.com

 

The Kunitsuna on page 234 (FS) is the first Kunitsuna and it states Kei-an period (1648), echizen province, shimosaka school, chu-jo saku. (Just one in FS)

 

But Toko Taikan lists 3 shinto kunitsuna. 2 shimosaka school smiths (1st & 2nd) from echizen, and then one from awa. The 3 time periods these smiths worked in spans from 1648-1684. Kanbun is in the middle (the awa smith, rated chu-saku).

 

I do have my copy of kanzan's shinto oshigata in the office though. 2 kunitsuna in there. One wakizashi with the "Echizen Ju" on the ura and "Sagami no kami Fujiwara kunitsuna" on the other side (I believe this is the guy we both have?). I believe that's how he signed wakizashi as I have seen a papered Kunitsuna katana with the echizen ju on the katana mei side. Kanzan does not give a date though.

 

Other kunitsuna is from Echigo. Signed "Echigo no suke kunitsuna kore wo tsukuru" but he states Tempo era (1830)

 

Time to hit the books for me.

 

mike

[Ed]

Hi Guys,

Spotted this and thought I would dump my invaluable two cents worth in.

 

I have a Katana signed Gassaku mei by Kunitsuna and Kunihiro. Therefore I have done a little research in this regard. What I have found is that, Sagami no Kami Fujiwara Kunitsuna was a member of the Kunihiro Kei which was part of the Settsu Kuni along with the Meshina, Kaneyasu and Tadatsuna Kei's. This seems to be substantiated by the sword I own, as it is signed jointly by both Kunitsuna and Kunihiro.

 

There does not seem to be any detailed information on any particular "Kunitsuna". There were however many Kunitsuna's. Hawley's lists 2.5 pages of them, and they are from all over ie; Bizen, Yamashiro, Yamato, Satsuma, Sagami Bungo, Echizen, Awa, Soshu, Settsu, etc., etc.

 

I have attached a link to photos of my sword, if you would like to see it for comparisons.

 

http://yakiba.com/KatanaKunihiroKunitsunaDescriptionpg.htm

[mike yeon]

Ed, that's great info (and a very handsome blade). The date 1649 (kei-an period) would match with the 1st echizen kunitsuna (the mei is a dead ringer of the oshigata in kanzan's). My wakizashi's mei matchs as well. The only difference is my blade and the one in the oshigata has a very fine ko-itame hada.

 

Thank you Ed, excellent info/leads.

 

mike

[Ed]

Hi Mike,

I am glad it helped.

Ed