Kantei
A stretch of blade on a black background, with the edge of the temper line in a broad, gentle curve.

Photo: dealer in Japan

Kiyomaro-utsushi · Sōshū-den · copies

Work and style

He is known for his copies of Kiyomaro, and he also copied famous swords of the Sōshū-den and of the Rai school.

On this page
  1. His style
  2. Works
  3. A single-bevelled katana
  4. A kogatana

His style

He was strongly marked by 源清麿 (Minamoto Kiyomaro), and he is held to be a master of the Kiyomaro copy (清麿写, Kiyomaro utsushi). His hamon is of gunome midare and of gunome-chōji, round-headed gunome in the manner of chōji, and in the hira-ji the whitish streaks called shirage are often seen.

He is credited with very powerful works in the Sōshū-den and with copies of famous swords: of the 山姥切 (Yamanba-giri) of 長義 (Chōgi), of the tantō 有楽来国光 (Yūraku Rai Kunimitsu), which is a National Treasure, and of single-bevelled katana by 志津三郎兼氏 (Shizu Saburō Kaneuji).

Works

  • Katana of March 1984, 74 cm long, signed 源盛吉 (Minamoto Moriyoshi), in a private foundation in Japan.
  • Katana of August 1986, 78.8 cm long, signed 肥州八代住源盛吉 (Hishū Yatsushiro jū Minamoto Moriyoshi), in the same foundation.
  • Tantō of 27.4 cm, a copy of the tantō 有楽来国光 (Yūraku Rai Kunimitsu), in the same foundation.
  • Katana of August 1972, 72.8 cm long, a copy of Chōgi’s Yamanba-giri, made on commission.
  • The katana in the photos, 64.6 cm long and single-bevelled (kata-kiriha-zukuri): jihada of itame with mokume and, in places, masame, with thick ji-nie; hamon of koshi-notare with gunome and much sunagashi.