Mizuta
水田派 (Mizuta-ha)
The Mizuta school, in Bitchū: the name Kunishige, borne by dozens of smiths, with sturdy working blades.
Style and characteristics
Sturdy blades with thick kasane, an itame jigane and a nie notare and gunome hamon, sometimes influenced by Sagami. The school was valued for its toughness rather than its refinement.
History
Kunishige was the school’s hereditary name and many smiths bore it; among them Ōtsuki Yogorō Kunishige stands out. Pre-Edo work is called Ko-Mizuta. In the Edo period there were branches in Edo, Ōsaka and Awa. The school claimed descent from Aoe, but there is no document to support it.
Smiths of the school
- Mizuta Kunishige 水田国重
- Yamashiro Daijō Kunishige 山城大掾國重