Takada
高田派 (Takada-ha)
The Bungo school, in Kyūshū: practical blades in quantity for five centuries, in styles ranging from Sagami to Bizen and Mino.
Style and characteristics
No single style: the jigane is an itame with nagare, and the hamon follows the fashion of each age, from nie notare in the Nanbokuchō period to Bizen chōji or Mino sanbonsugi in the Muromachi. They are solid, working blades that survive in great numbers.
History
Tomoyuki, in the Nanbokuchō period, is the first great name. By signature, the work is divided into Ko-Takada (with the surname Fujiwara), Taira-Takada (with Taira) and, in shintō, Fujiwara-Takada. The school supplied the lords of Kyūshū throughout the age of war and remained active in the Edo period.
Smiths of the school
- Bungo Noriyuki 豊後則行
- Fujiwara Saneyuki 藤原実行
- Kawachi no Kami Motoyuki 河内守本行
- Taira Akimori 平鑑盛
- Takada Kuniyuki 国行
- Takada Muneyuki 高田統行
- Takada Sadamori 定盛
- Takada Tadayuki 大和守藤原忠行
- Takada Tomoyuki 友行
- Takada Yukinaga 高田行長