Osafune
長船派 (Osafune-ha)
The largest group of smiths in Japanese history: from Mitsutada and Nagamitsu to the Sukesada and Kiyomitsu of the Sengoku period.
Style and characteristics
Nioi chōji with midare-utsuri in the Kamakura period (Mitsutada’s broad chōji, Nagamitsu’s more orderly one, Kagemitsu’s kataochi-gunome), notare and gunome influenced by Sagami in the Nanbokuchō period (Kanemitsu, Chōgi) and, in the Muromachi, the kani-no-tsume and grouped gunome of the Sukesada. The jigane is a fine ko-itame with utsuri.
History
Mitsutada, in the mid-Kamakura period, is considered the real founder; he was followed by Nagamitsu, Kagemitsu and Kanemitsu in the main line, and by branches such as Chōgi’s. In the Muromachi period Osafune supplied the armies of the age of war with series-made blades (kazu-uchi-mono) and also with high-quality commissions (chūmon-uchi), such as those of Yosōzaemon Sukesada. The Yoshii flood of 1590 swept the village away and ended the school.
Smiths of the school
- Chōgi 長義
- Kagehide 景秀
- Kagemitsu 景光
- Kawachi no Kami Sukesada 河内守祐定
- Mitsutada 光忠
- Osafune Arimitsu 長船在光
- Osafune Chikakage 近景
- Osafune Kanemitsu 長船兼光
- Osafune Katsumitsu 長船勝光
- Osafune Kiyomitsu 長船清光
- Osafune Masamitsu 政光
- Osafune Moromitsu 師光
- Osafune Nagamitsu 永光
- Osafune Nagamitsu 長光
- Osafune Nagashige 長重
- Osafune Norimitsu 長船則光
- Osafune Norimitsu 長船法光
- Osafune Sanenaga 真長
- Osafune Sukesada 長船祐定
- Osafune Tomomitsu 倫光
- Osafune Tsuramitsu 長船貫光
- Osafune Yasumitsu 長船康光
- Osafune Yoshikage 義景
- Shichirōemon no Jō Sukesada 七郎右衛門尉祐定
- Shuri no Suke Morimitsu 修理亮盛光
- Yokoyama Sukenaga 横山祐永
- Yokoyama Sukesada 横山祐定
- Yosōzaemon Sukesada 与三左衛門祐定