Taima
当麻派 (Taima-ha)
One of the five Yamato schools, linked to the Taima-dera temple: blades of intense nie that come close to the Sagami style.
Style and characteristics
The richest in nie of the Yamato styles: an itame jigane turning to masame towards the back, with chikei, and a strong-nie suguha or ko-midare with nijū-ba, uchinoke and kinsuji. Hence its blades are sometimes mistaken for those of Sagami.
History
Tradition places its origin with Kuniyuki, at the end of the Kamakura period, linked to the Taima-dera temple. Signed blades are very rare and most of the work is attributed; among the signed ones is a tachi with Kuniyuki’s signature designated a National Treasure.