Toronto Token Kai

1. Toronto Token Kai Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre January 15, 2005

2. Hizento of the Shinto Era Waki Hizen SmithShodai Masahiro Barry Hennick

3. Barry Hennick 2005 Aims of the presentation • To introduce Hizento • To provide examples of the range of work of Shodai Masahiro • To teach you how to look at a sword • To let you handle swords • To teach you how to compare swords • To challenge you to apply what you learned in an attempt to solidify your knowledge

4. Barry Hennick 2005 Hizen Hizen

5. Barry Hennick 2005 Mainline Hizento Saga Castle TownNabeshima Naoshige Daimyo • Shodai Tadayoshi aka Tadahiro 1572-1633 (son of Hashimoto Michihiro) was the founder of the Hizen Tadayoshi school ca. 1596 • His teachers were Munetsugu and Umetada Myoju (he gave the Tada character to Tadayoshi) • The Tadayoshi line lasted until 1871 (9th generation) • The school, sponsored by the Nabeshima Daimyo, had up to 100 workers producing swords • The school used traditional methods

6. Barry Hennick 2005 Waki Hizen The Sideline smiths • Masahiro Topic of this talk • Tadakuni, • Yoshinobu, • Yukihiro, • Munetsugu, • Kunihiro, • Yoshihiro

7. Barry Hennick 2005 Mainline Blade Characteristics • Great koto shape – sharp – Saijo - o wazmono wazamono • Great steel made in the traditional manner (many Shinto smiths used imported steel)

8. Barry Hennick 2005 Boshi and Kissaki • Chu kissaki (medium size point) • Ko maru with kaeri (small circle temper line in point) Hizen Boshi Temper line follows the kissaki

9. Barry Hennick 2005 Blade form and curvature • Shinogi zukuri (blade with ridge line) • Torii sori (center of curvature is in the center of the blade’s cutting edge)

10. Barry Hennick 2005 Tang and mei Kiri • Signed tachi mei • Kiri yasurime (straight file marks) • Kengyo (pointed both sides equal) or kuri-jiri • Few dated works • Nakago mune on katana have some niku, kaku mune on wakizashi & tanto

11. Barry Hennick 2005 Grain and Temper line • Konuka hada/ Nashiji hada aka Hizen hada – a tight ko mokume/ko itame (rice grain/ pear skin) • Nei deki - usually wide thick line of temperindividual crystals are visible. • Suguha, midareba hamon starts above ha-machi (gunome-midare, choji-midare) Note: nei in valleys

12. Barry Hennick 2005 Shodai Masahiro • 1607 - February 5, 1665 born in Saga City • Son of Yoshinobu (1587-1633) and the daughter of Shodai Tadayoshi. He was later adopted by Tadayoshi. • He would have taken over the family business but Tadayoshi had a son, who later became Nidai Tadahiro • His teachers were both Yoshinobu (father) and Shodai Tadayoshi (grandfather and stepfather) • Iwata Takashi in Token Bijutsu #53, page 12 wrote, “Around the time Shodai Tadahiro passed away, it is very probable Shodai Masahiro was the most skilled swordmaker in the entire Hashimoto family.”

13. Barry Hennick 2005 Masahiro and his names • Masahiro’s common name was Sadenjiro • Later in life he was called Yashichibei • He first signed his swords Masanaga • Lord Nabeshima gave him the hiro character to use and he became Masahiro (Nov. 19, 1625) • April 27, 1628 given the title Kawachi Daijo (title used in 1641 or 1644 onward). When working for the Daimyo he didn’t use the title.

14. Barry Hennick 2005 Masahiro’s Work Style • Shinogi zukuri katana and wakizashi, few tanto. I have seen no yari or naginata. Torii sori • Chu kissaki (somewhat extended) ko-maru boshi with kaeri (Hizen boshi) • Tight ko itame hada in suguha blades somewhat looser hada in midareba blades Konuka hada (Hizen hada) – masame hada in shinogi-ji • Midare, gunome, choji, suguha - lots of kinsuji, chikei and sunagashi – long ashi more flamboyant than the main line smiths – hamon starts below the ha-machi • Nakago iri yamagata, kaku mune (follows convention) katte sagari, o sujikai or sujikai yasurime

15. Barry Hennick 2005 Masahiro’s Mei • Masanaga (no examples found) • Hizen no Kuni Saga Ju Fujiwara Masahiro (1627-1639) • Hizen no Kuni Kawachi Daijo Fujiwara Masahiro • Hizen no Kuni Masahiro (large mei) • Hizen no Kuni Kawachi Daijo Fujiwara Masa (hiro) (small mei) later in his career Yasurime W W K W 1 2 3 4

16. Barry Hennick 2005 Description of specific blades S HA P E T E M P E R P O I N T

17. Barry Hennick 2005 Description continued T A N G S I G N E D

18. Barry Hennick 2005 Blade Measurements

19. Barry Hennick 2005 Mei • Placement of signature on tang – near the mune, relative to the mekugi ana • Quality of chisel marks – depth, width • What does it say? • Check the Kuni character and the Masa character and look for any changes

20. Barry Hennick 2005 Kuni and Masa Old Kuni Character New Kuni Character Old Masa Character New Masa Character Images taken from Hizento Handbook by Eiguchi Soshin

21. Barry Hennick 2005 Kuni Kuni Character from my swords

22. Barry Hennick 2005 Masa Masa character from my swords

23. Barry Hennick 2005 Handling my swords • By picking up my sword you agree to pay for any damage you cause to the sword. • Hold the blade with two hands. • Do not talk while holding the sword. • Do not touch the blade with your bare hands. • Use the paper provided to hold the sword. Use only the inner paper to touch the blade. • Do not swing the sword or test it for cutting ability.

24. Barry Hennick 2005 Viewing the Blade • Hold the sword with the tang at eye level to look at the shape of the blade – note the curvature and size of point, any change in width from habaki to yokote line • Rotate the blade to see if it is bent and if it is sharp near the habaki (ububa) • Point the tip towards the light at about a 30o angle to view the temper line – follow the line

25. Barry Hennick 2005 Viewing the blade (cont’d) • Hold the blade parallel to the ground to look at the hada (grain pattern). • Look at the tang of the sword • Overall shape – note taper • Back of tang – flat or rounded • Tip of tang – iri yamagata, kiri other • Yasurime – file marks direction, eveness, quality • Mekugi ana – location with respect to mei

26. Barry Hennick 2005 Jinei Nei

27. Barry Hennick 2005 Hada and Hamon Konuka hada Nei in Valley

28. Barry Hennick 2005 Hataraki – activities in the blade Sunagashi and Choji Look at the nei in the valleys

29. Barry Hennick 2005 Utushi – copies of famous works • Rai Kunimitsu – suguha, geometry, activity • Naoe Shizu – narrow suguha + gunome in a clump + kinsuji, sunagashi • Sue-Tegai – hoso-suguha – leaning boshi • Muramasa and Sue Bizen suguha + gunome temper line the same on both sides • Konote-gashira – one side suguha other midareba – choji-midare + gunome • Kagemitsu, Yamato, Chogi among others

30. Barry Hennick 2005 Bibliography • The School of Tadayoshi Saga, Hizen 1598-1871 by Roger Robertshaw 1999* • Hizento Handbook by Eguchi Soshin translated by Gordon Robson 1997* • Hizen no Katana to Tsuba by N. Fukunaga 1974 • Nihon Toko Jiten (Shinto-Hen) by S. Fujishiro translated by Harry Watson 1984* • Shinto Taikan by Y. Iimura 1976 • Nihonto Koza volume 4 translated by Harry Watson* • Token Bijutsu English Edition #53 pg. 12-18* * In English

31. Barry Hennick 2005 Bibliography cont’ • Hizento by Dr. Suiken Fukunaga • JSSUS Newsletter Vol. 19 #2 pg. 17, Vol. 19 #3 pg. 15 Vol. 15 #1* • Art and The Sword Vol. #1 1988* To contact me by email barry@hennick.ca by phone 905 731 6573 * In English