Kantei
Six details of the upper part of a blade, set diagonally on a black background, with a strongly marked zigzag temper line and carved characters.

Swordsmith of Seki (Mino) · Sue-Seki · late Muromachi period

Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa (若狭守氏房)

The head of the Seki swordsmiths who worked for Oda Nobunaga: from Kanefusa to Ujifusa, his Kanefusa-midare and his place among the wazamono

Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa (若狭守氏房) was a swordsmith of Seki, in Mino province, of the Kanefusa family. According to the NBTHK, he first signed Kanefusa, like his father and his grandfather; in 1556 he inherited from his elder brother the headship of the Seki swordsmiths, and in 1570 he took the name Ujifusa and the title of Wakasa no Kami. He worked for Oda Nobunaga and moved with him to Azuchi in 1577. The wazamono list gives him the third of its four cutting grades.

Photo: dealer in Japan

1556
Head of the Seki swordsmiths
1570
Title of Wakasa no Kami
1577
To Azuchi, with Oda Nobunaga
3rd of 4
Grade in the wazamono list
On this page
  1. Quick profile
  2. In short

Quick profile

Name
Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa; before 1570, Kanefusa; he signed 若狭守氏房作 (Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa saku), 若狭守藤原氏房作 (Wakasa no Kami Fujiwara Ujifusa saku) or 若狭守藤原氏房造 (Wakasa no Kami Fujiwara Ujifusa zō) AT
Kanji and reading
若狭守氏房 (Wakasa no Kami Ujifusa); formerly 兼房 (Kanefusa) AT
Period
Late Muromachi period and the age of Oda Nobunaga: head of Seki from 1556, with his title from 1570 AT
Province
Mino (美濃, Mino): Seki (関, Seki); later, Azuchi AT
School
Sue-Seki, the Seki swordsmiths of the late Muromachi period; family of the 善定 (Zenjō) AT
Lineage
Son and grandson of swordsmiths called Kanefusa; younger brother of 石見守国房 (Iwami no Kami Kunifusa); father of 飛騨守氏房 (Hida no Kami Ujifusa) AT
What is documented
The titles and the change of name of 1570, which the NBTHK gives with day and month; no work of his designated by the State AT
The tradition
His dates of birth and death, his civil name and his time in Suruga, which are not recorded in any of the sources consulted PC

In short

According to the NBTHK, Ujifusa first signed Kanefusa, the name of his father and of his grandfather, of the Seki family that the NBTHK calls 関善定 (Seki Zenjō). In 1556 he inherited from his elder brother, Iwami no Kami Kunifusa, the headship of the Seki swordsmiths, and in 1570 he received his titles and changed his name. He worked for Oda Nobunaga and moved to Azuchi in 1577, according to the JSSUS.

His katana are wide, with a long chū-kissaki, an itame with a whitish ji, the round-headed gunome called Kanefusa-midare and a jizō bōshi. The 『懐宝剣尺』 (Kaihō Kenjaku) places him among the 良業物 (yoki-wazamono), the third of its four grades.

Sections

  1. Seki, Gifu and Azuchi Life and times From Kanefusa to Ujifusa, the titles of 1570, Oda Nobunaga and his son Hida no Kami.
  2. Kanefusa-midare · jizō-bōshi Work and style Sugata, jihada, hamon, bōshi, nakago and mei: the keys to recognising him.
  3. Yoki-wazamono · NBTHK kantei Works and lists His grade in the wazamono lists, the blade of an NBTHK kantei and what there is not.
  4. Bibliography Sources The sources consulted.