Rai Kuniyuki
来国行 (Rai Kuniyuki)
A Kyoto smith of the mid-Kamakura period, the practical founder of the Rai school; he signed «Kuniyuki» without the name Rai.
Profile
Tradition names Kuniyoshi as founder of the Rai school, but no certain work of his survives, and it is Kuniyuki who in practice opens the school. He worked in Kyoto in the mid-Kamakura period and signed «Kuniyuki» with two characters, without prefixing «Rai». Nearly all that remains of him are tachi, with high koshizori, wide and with an ikubi kissaki, though there are slimmer ones too. His temper is a suguha with chōji or a chōji midare, over a dense ko-itame with ji-nie. One of his tachi is a national treasure.
Monograph
Rai Kuniyuki (来国行)
His quick profile, what is documented as against tradition, and the essentials.
Read the monograph
Notable works
- Akashi Kuniyuki: tachi, national treasure.