古一文字助宗
Ko-Ichimonji Sukemune
Description
Ko-Ichimonji Sukemune was a swordsmith of the early Kamakura period (c. 1190–1220) working in Bizen Province, counted among the earliest and most important masters of the Ko-Ichimonji (Old One-Character) school. The Ichimonji school takes its name from the single character "一" (one) used as the smith's signature — a mark of extreme simplicity that paradoxically indicates the highest rank. The Ko-Ichimonji smiths, including Sukemune, served as imperial sword smiths for the retired Emperor Go-Toba, who famously invited the finest swordsmiths in Japan to his palace workshop on a monthly rotation basis. This unprecedented patronage connected the Ko-Ichimonji smiths with the highest levels of Kyoto court culture, and the resulting blades are among the most prized in all of Japanese sword history. Sukemune's tachi display the quintessential Ko-Ichimonji characteristics: tightly grained ko-itame jihada with brilliant utsuri reflection, magnificent chōji-midare hamon with heavy, exuberant clove-shaped patterns ("jūka-chōji"), rich ashi and yō working through the ha, and fine, even ko-nie throughout. The combination of a bright, active hamon against a deeply beautiful jihada with clear utsuri represents the pinnacle of Bizen-den aesthetics. DATEKATANA presents Ko-Ichimonji Sukemune as one of the supreme masters of the entire Japanese sword tradition — a smith whose work from over 800 years ago continues to set the standard against which all Bizen-den swords are measured.
Famous Works
- 太刀（重要文化財）
- 太刀（重要美術品）
- 太刀（一字銘）