Shintōgo Kunimitsu
新藤五国光 (Shintōgo Kunimitsu)
A Kamakura smith of the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the effective founder of the Sagami tradition, whom old genealogies make the teacher of Yukimitsu and Masamune.
Profile
Shintōgo Kunimitsu has signed works from 1293 to 1322 according to the NBTHK, or to 1324 according to the Japanese Wikipedia. The most widespread tradition makes him a son of Awataguchi Kunitsuna, born after his father had been summoned to Kamakura, and a student of Bizen Saburō Kunimune; old genealogies also name Ichimonji Sukezane as his teacher. He lived in Numahama, in Kamakura, and grew up among the Yamashiro and Bizen smiths gathered there. His basis is the elegant Awataguchi suguha, but with stronger nie, kinsuji and inazuma: the beginning of the Sagami manner. He forged mostly tantō; his tachi are rare. Genealogies name Yukimitsu and Masamune among his students. His religious name was Kōshin.
Monograph
Shintōgo Kunimitsu (新藤五国光)
A swordsmith of the late Kamakura period of whom his blades are on record and little else, told with the level of evidence of each fact.
Read the monograph
Notable works
- Aizu Shintōgo: a tantō once owned by Gamō Ujisato, at the Fukuyama Museum of Art. National treasure.
- Tantō dated 1293 that states he lived in Kamakura and signs Shintōgo: important cultural property.