Oku Motohira
奥元平 (Oku Motohira)
Lineage: the signature does not state the generation
A line of Satsuma smiths, the Oku family, in the service of the domain from the 17th century; its great master was the first Motohira (1744-1826).
Profile
The Oku family worked for the Satsuma domain from the 1640s, descending from its ancestor Tadakiyo. The first Motohira, who lived from 1744 to 1826, is the family's most celebrated master and one of the smiths who made Satsuma shinshintō famous. His younger brother was Motoyasu. The second Motohira (1833-1905) became head of the family at ten, in 1843, and trained with Motoyasu's son; he first signed Motomitsu and, late in life, having taken holy orders, used the name Juan. His blades are rare. The first received the title Yamato no Kami in 1789. That the second was the first's grandson is Sesko's account; the Kyūshū National Museum speaks of a son of the same name.
Monograph
Oku Motohira (奥元平)
The Oku lineage of Satsuma: its quick profile and the essentials.
Read the monograph
Rankings
- Maegashira (West) in Tomita Kiyama’s ranking of shintō smiths (1935)
Swords available
Rank 214
€19,850
current max. 255 Points: 102.2 points · current max. 255
Rank 251
€25,760
current max. 255 Points: 97.1 points · current max. 255
Rank 275
€19,710
current max. 255 Points: 92.4 points · current max. 255
Swords sold
Rank 322
€25,080
current max. 255 Points: 82.7 points · current max. 255