長船元重

Osafune Motoshige

Description

## A Practitioner of Nanbokuchō Bizen: Osafune Motoshige Osafune Motoshige was a swordsmith active in Osafune, Bizen province (present-day Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture) during the Nanbokuchō period (14th century). A contemporary of Osafune Kanemitsu and Osafune Chōgi, he is recognized as a skilled craftsman who embodied the technical excellence of the Osafune school. His style, while rooted in the Bizen tradition of chōji-midare and gunome-midare, combines the bold grandeur and battlefield practicality of the Nanbokuchō era, earning high regard among the warriors of his time. The Bizen Osafune school dominated Japanese swordmaking from the Kamakura through Muromachi periods as the country's largest swordmaking community. Within this tradition, Motoshige is particularly known for producing large-format swords suited to the intensified demands of the civil war era. His signed works are not numerous, but those that survive are rated first-class and hold an important place in Bizen tradition scholarship. ## Vigorous Gunome-Midare: Motoshige's Hamon The most notable feature of Motoshige's work is the powerful, rhythmically repeating gunome-midare hamon. Unlike the flowing chōji-midare typical of Bizen tradition, his gunome presents a more rugged, martial character. The hamon is rich with nie, with active ashi and yō working throughout, strongly impressing the viewer with the blade's inherent power. The jigane is primarily itame-hada with some works showing utsuri — the faint wave-like pattern on the steel surface considered a hallmark of Bizen tradition. Motoshige's jigane is well-compacted and refined, demonstrating the high technical standards of Nanbokuchō Bizen smithing. The blade shapes follow Nanbokuchō conventions: wide mihaba, shallow sori, and dramatically extended kissaki — the powerful form known as "Nanbokuchō configuration" that reflects the era's demand for ōdachi and nodachi in actual warfare. ## Esteemed as Battle Swords: Favored by Warriors During the turbulence of the Nanbokuchō era, warriors across Japan required swords of both quality and quantity. The Osafune smiths met this demand, supplying superior battle swords in large numbers. Motoshige's blades were particularly prized among samurai as "swords that cut well in battle." The Bizen tradition's beautiful chōji or gunome hamon was not merely decorative — it testified to the quality of the blade's heat treatment. Motoshige's gunome-midare achieved a high synthesis of aesthetic beauty and battlefield durability, which explains why warriors continued to prize his work for generations. While his contemporary Kanemitsu enjoyed brilliant fame as the "vanguard of Nanbokuchō," Motoshige is appreciated as a more straightforward practitioner. His commitment to the essential performance of the sword rather than surface glamour makes him a figure of high esteem in the context of the Japanese sword's utilitarian beauty. ## Motoshige's Place in the Osafune Lineage In the history of the Osafune school, the Nanbokuchō period when Motoshige was active represents the generation that followed the Kamakura-era masters — Mitsutada, Nagamitsu, Kagemitsu — and formed the era's peak alongside Kanemitsu and Chōgi. During this period, the Osafune school maintained the Bizen framework while absorbing Sōshū influence, developing bolder and more varied styles. Within this lineage, Motoshige stands as a smith who remained relatively close to the Bizen tradition, meeting the demands of the Nanbokuchō era while faithfully preserving its heritage. For this reason, his works serve as important reference pieces both aesthetically and academically as a pure continuation of Bizen tradition. The Date family of Sendai, where DATEKATANA is based, was also a daimyō house that treasured Bizen swords. Just as Shokudaikiri Mitsutada (by Osafune Mitsutada) is famous as Date Masamune's beloved sword, Bizen Osafune blades were deeply woven into the warrior culture of the Tōhoku region. Motoshige's swords, too, contributed to the quality and trustworthiness of the Bizen brand. ## The Legacy of Osafune Motoshige Surviving signed works by Motoshige, including Important Cultural Properties, are preserved in museums and private collections. Though not numerous, each stands as a direct demonstration of Nanbokuchō Bizen craftsmanship, highly regarded by sword scholars and enthusiasts alike. Osafune Motoshige was a smith who proved himself through honest technical mastery rather than brilliant fame. His powerful gunome-midare and refined jigane continue to convey the pride and conviction of a craftsman who persevered through the turbulent Nanbokuchō era.

Famous Works

• 太刀（重要文化財）
• 大太刀（重要文化財）