Kantei
Whole katana blade with its tang, curved, on a black background.

Hizen · Saga · shintō

Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro (近江大掾忠広)

The second Tadahiro of Hizen: sixty years of forging in Saga, the konuka-hada and suguha of the school, and the shintō smith who left the most blades

Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro (近江大掾忠広, Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro) is the second of the house of smiths of Saga, in Hizen, which served the Nabeshima clan throughout the Edo period. He inherited the forge in 1632, received the title of Ōmi Daijō in 1641 and worked until nearly eighty: he is the shintō smith of whom the most blades survive.

Kyūshū National Museum, via ColBase

1641 (Kan'ei 18)
Title of Ōmi Daijō
From 19 to 80
Years at the forge
Ō-wazamono
Yamada cutting list
6 in Japan
Works in museums
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro, the second Tadahiro of Hizen AT
Kanji and reading
近江大掾忠広 (Ōmi Daijō Tadahiro), also written 忠廣 (Tadahiro); signature 肥前国住近江大掾藤原忠広 (Hizen no kuni jū Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro) on katana and 近江大掾藤原忠広 (Ōmi Daijō Fujiwara Tadahiro) on wakizashi HD
Period
Shintō, early to mid-Edo period; works dated from the Kan'ei (1624–1644) to the Tenna (1681–1684) eras AT
Province
Hizen (肥前, Hizen), in Saga HD
School
Hizen-tō (肥前刀, Hizen-tō), the house of the Tadayoshi, smiths of the Saga domain AT
Master
His father, the first Tadayoshi (Musashi Daijō Tadahiro); according to the Japanese Wikipedia, he also trained with Kawachi Daijō Masahiro AT
Title
Ōmi Daijō (近江大掾, Ōmi Daijō), in 1641 (Kan'ei 18) HD
Rank
Ō-wazamono (大業物, ō-wazamono) in the 懐宝剣尺 (Kaihō Kenjaku) of 1797; jōjō-saku (上々作, jōjō-saku) among the shintō AT
What is documented
Signed katana and wakizashi in the Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyūshū National Museums; the title of 1641, in the record of the Kyūshū National Museum HD
The tradition
His training with Kawachi Daijō Masahiro and the reason he never signed Tadayoshi AT

In short

According to the Japanese Wikipedia, he was born in 1614 and died in 1693, aged 80; in Hizen he is held to be the third in mastery of the house, after the first Tadayoshi and the third, Mutsu no Kami Tadayoshi. Hinohara Dai, in the NBTHK Sword Journal, considers him the shintō smith who made the most swords: there are blades dated in nine eras, from Kan'ei to Tenna, and about half are from Kan'ei.

The museum records describe a steel of very tight ko-itame, with thick ko-nie that gives it the look of rice bran, and a temper ranging from suguha to chōji. It is the konuka-hada (小糠肌, konuka-hada) of Hizen. No work of his is recorded as designated a National Treasure or an Important Cultural Property.

Sections

  1. From Kan'ei to Genroku Life and times The family, the succession of 1632, the title of 1641, a sixty-year career and his sons.
  2. Kantei keys Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, bōshi, nakago and mei, and how to tell him from his father and his son.
  3. In museums, shrines and lists Famous works His blades in the Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyūshū National Museums and in New York, and his place in the lists.
  4. Bibliography and credits Sources The sources consulted and the image credits.