Hiromitsu
広光 (Hiromitsu)
A Sagami master of the Nanbokuchō period from Masamune's circle; together with Akihiro he is credited with hitatsura, the temper that covers the whole blade.
Profile
Hiromitsu worked in Kamakura in the mid-14th century. Tradition makes him a student of Masamune, or his son or adopted son, and other sources place him under Sadamune. Almost everything that remains is wide, long tantō and ko-wakizashi in hira-zukuri; only one signed tachi is known. The steel is a prominent itame with abundant ji-nie and chikei, and the temper runs from a medium suguha to a large midare that becomes hitatsura, with kinsuji and sunagashi. Many blades carry engravings: bonji, ken or grooves.
Monograph
Hiromitsu (広光)
Who he was, what is known and what is tradition, told with the level of evidence of each fact.
Read the monograph
Notable works
- Ōkurikara Hiromitsu: a blade with a carved Kurikara dragon, heavily shortened; the shogunate gave it to the Date house in 1621. Important art object.
- Kashagiri Hiromitsu: a wakizashi dated 1362, one of Uesugi Kagekatsu's thirty-five favourites; important art object, at the Sano Art Museum.