長船真長

Osafune Sanenaga

Description

## Younger Brother of Nagamitsu — Osafune Sanenaga Osafune Sanenaga was a swordsmith of the Osafune school active in Bizen Province during the late Kamakura period, and as the younger brother of the school's great master Nagamitsu, was a fine smith who supported the Osafune school during its golden age. The brothers Nagamitsu and Sanenaga are cited together as the two great smiths representing the late Kamakura Osafune school, each deepening the school's technical accumulation in their own way while inheriting the technical direction established by their father Mitsutada. The characteristic of Sanenaga's works lies in a style that further develops his elder brother Nagamitsu's Bizen chōji-midare while adding distinctive variation. The hamon is based on gunome mixed with chōji, with slightly stronger nie than his brother's work — the boldness and richness of variation are prominent. The jigane displays the fine Bizen forging typical of itame with utsuri, proving the high achievement of Osafune school jigane beauty. Dated works survive, serving as important materials for the study of late Kamakura swordmaking history. ## Sanenaga's Technical Individuality The greatest individuality in Sanenaga's hamon lies in the richness of variation in chōji forms. Diverse shapes — koshi-biraki-chōji, gyaku-chōji, fusa-chōji — combine within a single blade, bringing vitality and variety to the overall hamon. This richness of variation is evidence of technical maturity, the fruit of the three-generation deepening of Osafune school technique from Mitsutada through Nagamitsu to Sanenaga. ## DATEKATANA and Sanenaga DATEKATANA presents Sanenaga as the skilled smith who supported the Osafune school's golden age alongside his brother Nagamitsu, and as a swordsmith who reached a distinctive pinnacle in the richness of Bizen chōji-midare variation.

Famous Works

• 太刀（重要文化財・複数）