Rai Kunitsugu
来国次 (Rai Kunitsugu)
A smith of Kyoto's Rai school from the end of the Kamakura into the Nanbokuchō period, the closest to the Sagami style; Edo-period sword books count him among Masamune's ten students.
Profile
Genealogies make Kunitsugu a son-in-law of Rai Kunitoshi or an older cousin of Rai Kunimitsu, and he worked at the same time as the latter; his few dated works are from 1326 to 1334. He moved away from the school's classical style towards the Sagami manner, with nie tempers in gunome and midare, hence his nickname Kamakura-Rai. Edo-period sword books count him among Masamune's ten great students, although there is no agreement on whether he really travelled to Kamakura. He made longer and wider tantō than his cousin, but his long blades are as many as his short ones. He has one national treasure and four important cultural properties.
Monograph
Rai Kunitsugu (来国次)
His quick profile, what is documented as against tradition, and the essentials.
Read the monograph
Notable works
- Tantō signed Rai Kunitsugu, in a private collection in Tokyo: national treasure.