Aoe
青江派 (Aoe-ha)
The Aoe school, in Bitchū: dark steel with sumigane and suguha, for three centuries across the river from Bizen.
Style and characteristics
A very fine ko-itame jigane, often with chirimen-hada and with dark patches of steel, the sumigane, which are its mark. The hamon is a suguha or a saka-chōji (chōji slanting towards the point) of tight nioi; the tang file marks are usually ō-sujikai.
History
The school’s work is divided into Ko-Aoe, from the late Heian to the mid-Kamakura period, Chū-Aoe, and Sue-Aoe, in the Nanbokuchō and early Muromachi periods. Many of its smiths carry «tsugu» in their names: Tametsugu, Tsunetsugu, Moritsugu. Some of the most famous named swords come from Aoe, such as the tachi Nikkari Aoe.
Smiths of the school
- Aoe Suketsugu 助次
- Aoe Tsugiie 次家
- Aoe Tsunetsugu 恒次
- Tametsugu 為次
Famous swords
- Kitsunegasaki 狐ヶ崎