Early Gassan Literature

[Lareon]

I'm looking for literature on the early Gassan works - pre revival.

 

Can anyone recommend a good source online or physical?

 

Tony

[Shugyosha]

I think you might struggle for anything specifically on ko Gassan. This book is relatively cheap and might give you some of what you’re looking for. You could email Grey Doffin for an overview of the content or if he knows of something better. 
 

https://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.com/store/books/b682-Japanese-master-swordsmiths-gassan-tradition

 

Edit: sorry didn’t see it was sold. One in the UK here: https://m.alibris.co.uk/Japanese-master-swordsmiths-the-Gassan-tradition-Morihiro-Ogawa/book/3412572

[Lareon]

Thanks John,

I'll grab this one, I'll also ask @Grey Doffin if he has any recommendations.

[Brian]

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/37812-books-for-sale/#comment-392093

 

 

[Lareon]

2 minutes ago, Brian said:

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/37812-books-for-sale/#comment-392093

 

 

Thanks Brian, messaged for shipping quote

[DirkO]

For early Gassan, you need this one as well (only in Japanese though):
Dewa sanzan shinkō to Gassan tōkō (The Religous Practices of the Three Peaks of Dewa Province and the Gassan Swordsmiths)
It's from the NBTHK Osaka branch - 1988 and it digs deeper into the start of the Gassan tradition.


 

[Lareon]

31 minutes ago, DirkO said:

For early Gassan, you need this one as well (only in Japanese though):
Dewa sanzan shinkō to Gassan tōkō (The Religous Practices of the Three Peaks of Dewa Province and the Gassan Swordsmiths)
It's from the NBTHK Osaka branch - 1988 and it digs deeper into the start of the Gassan tradition.


 

 

Thanks, I may get it but my Japanese is too limited to be able to read it, wonder if android photo auto translate could translate it well enough to read properly.

[DirkO]

Gassan is a work of Gassan swordsmith before the middle of the Edo period. In the literature, it is said that the swordsmith of Dewa Province in the Kamakura period * Kioumaru is in charge, and it is also said that the inscription is cut into blades, but the existing works that are sure to be inscribed are still inscribed in SR Saki after the Nanbokucho period. Not found. The works from the Nanbokucho period to the early Muromachi period are called Tsukiyama or Tsukiyama work, but after the middle of the Muromachi period, Kanekuni, Konnori, Toshihisa, Kuri, Kunisei, and Abo. .. Some of them, such as Toshikichi, have been cut off from the author's name, and are even more civilized. Years such as Eisho will also be recorded. Most of the existing works are from the end of the Muromachi period, but they declined rapidly in the Momoyama period, and until Sadakichi Tsukiyama revived the Gassan school in the late Edo period, most of the works of this school were not seen.

 

 

 

The above I did with Google translate for android with the scan function. The names you can usually find in the romaji bit in the app. 

[Lareon]

2 minutes ago, DirkO said:

Gassan is a work of Gassan swordsmith before the middle of the Edo period. In the literature, it is said that the swordsmith of Dewa Province in the Kamakura period * Kioumaru is in charge, and it is also said that the inscription is cut into blades, but the existing works that are sure to be inscribed are still inscribed in SR Saki after the Nanbokucho period. Not found. The works from the Nanbokucho period to the early Muromachi period are called Tsukiyama or Tsukiyama work, but after the middle of the Muromachi period, Kanekuni, Konnori, Toshihisa, Kuri, Kunisei, and Abo. .. Some of them, such as Toshikichi, have been cut off from the author's name, and are even more civilized. Years such as Eisho will also be recorded. Most of the existing works are from the end of the Muromachi period, but they declined rapidly in the Momoyama period, and until Sadakichi Tsukiyama revived the Gassan school in the late Edo period, most of the works of this school were not seen.

 

 

 

The above I did with Google translate for android with the scan function. The names you can usually find in the romaji bit in the app. 

ah this seems good enough. i will try and track down a copy! 

thank you

[Jussi Ekholm]

Thank you for posting that very interesting book Dirk, I'll need to add that one to my long book list.

 

Here is a history bit from the Sano Museum book that I took a pic for your other thread. I skipped one paragraph so I could fit in these that I have now as it takes so much time for me to type the kanji and translate it so I chose these parts. I'll add the original text as I most likely might have made an error or two in the process.

 

Quote

月山は来舞草一派の刀工であるが,

江戸時代の [古刀銘盡大全] や [校正古刀銘鑑] などによれば鬼王丸の子で後に出羽に移つたとし,

初代を元暦 (1184), 建久 (1190) 頃とし代々続いたとしている

一門の年紀をみると勝軍に貞治六年 (1367), 勝軍に元中二 年 (1385) が古く,

室町時代には近則に文亀, 永正, 正信に永正, 後吉に大永, 天文の年紀がみられる

一派は鎌倉時代から室町時代初期までは銘を [月山作] あるいは [月山] と切つているが室町中期になると, 月山の下に個人名を入れる者が多くなり, [月山某] と切る

主なものに, 近則, 正信, 吉久, 後吉, 宗吉, 定光などがいる

 

Gassan was a swordsmith of Mōgusa group. Edo period sources [古刀銘盡大全] and [校正古刀銘鑑] state that he was son of Kiōmaru and moved to Dewa. It is said that the first generation was around Genryaku (1184) and Kenkyū (1190) and continued for generations.

 

Looking at dated work of the school, there is work by Gunshō dated to (1367) [My other source has this sword as 貞治二 1363] and Gunshō dated to (1385) [This is listed as 元中三 1386 in Juyo 21], in the Muromachi period Chikanori works from Bunki & Eishō, Masanobu works from Eishō, Toshiyoshi works from Daiei & Tenbun can be found.

 

From Kamakura period until the Early Muromachi period the school signed Gassan saku or Gassan. From the middle of Muromachi period many smiths put their personal names under Gassan. Main smiths include Chikanori, Masanobu, Yoshihisa, Toshiyoshi, Muneyoshi and Sadamitsu.

[Lareon]

Thank you very much for that Jussi and the effort you put in. It's greatly appreciated. I'm collating all the information I'm getting from all sources to try and make a comprehensive source. I'll upload it as a PDF to the board when it's got enough information.

 

Thanks again