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Tachi (long sword), made by Yoshimitsu Ohno in Bizen
Province (unexamined),
Spring 2001
Unexamined
New Masterpiece Sword Exhibition, 2001: Unexamined
entries
Mukansa
White scabbard, lower shell made of red copper, upper
shell made of solid gold, double habaki (collar)
No. A00634
Blade length: 79.5 cm (2 shaku 6 sun 2 bu) Curvature:
3.3 cm (1 sun)
Original width: 3.4cm Tip width: 2.4cm
Original weight: 0.75cm Tip weight: 0.5cm
Blade weight (naked): 977g
Registration certificate: Tokyo
Metropolitan Board of Education
December 11, 2001
Certificate of Authenticity:
country: Tokyo
Era: Modern
2001 2001
Inscription: Sakuyuki
Ohno, Bizen Province
Spring 2001
Shape: It is a
shinogi-zukuri style, iori-mune, with a wide blade, thick cross-section, a
slight gap between the base and tip, and is long in length. It has a high
curvature at the waist and a medium-sized point that resembles a boar's neck.
Forging: The
grain is finely packed, with a ji-nie (small crystals in the ji) and ji-kei
(landscape patterns in the ji), and the ura-utsuri (irregular reflections) are
prominent.
Blade sentence: The
blade shows a waist edge near the habaki, with large clove-shaped patterns
mixed in with a few small clove-shaped patterns, forming a layered flower shape
overall. The tempering is high and brilliantly irregular towards the shinogi,
with well-defined ashi and ha, a nioi-based hamon with a slight amount of
ko-nie, small kinsuji, and sunagashi.
Hat: Deeply
cooked, with small, irregular edges, a short, rounded fold, and a sweeping tip.
Carving: Cut
a gutter through both the front and back.
Stem: Original,
shallow chestnut-shaped butt, file marks sloping downwards, two peg holes.
explanation:
Swordsmith Yoshimitsu Ohno was born
on October 16, 1948, in Nishikanbara District, Niigata Prefecture, and his real
name is Mitsuo Yoshikawa. He entered the Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary
Medicine at Nihon University, and developed an interest in Japanese swords
during his student days. In 1969, he began his career in Japanese sword making
at the forge of swordsmiths Yoshito Yoshihara and Shoji Yoshihara. In 1980, he
received "Approval for the Production of Fine Art Swords" from the
Agency for Cultural Affairs, becoming a swordsmith, and exhibited his work for
the first time at the New Master Sword Exhibition that same year. In 1976, he
established his own forge in Kurosaki Town, Niigata Prefecture. From 1982 to
1987, he received the Takamatsu-no-miya Prize and the Agency for Cultural
Affairs Commissioner's Prize six consecutive times, and in 1987 he was
certified as a swordsmith without examination. In 1984, he respectfully crafted
the sacred sword for the 61st Shikinen Sengu (periodic rebuilding) of Ise Grand
Shrine. His style is based on the Bizen tradition, and he forges a flamboyant
layered clove pattern known as "Ohno Choji". In particular, his
reproduction of the famous "Yamadorige" sword (a national treasure)
that was passed down through the Uesugi family has received high praise both in
Japan and internationally.
This sword is a copy of "Yamadorige," and
despite its length, it has a wide blade, is long, has a rich curvature at the
base, and a boar's neck point, making it comfortable to hold. The forging is a
fine wood grain pattern, the hamon is tempered at the base, with overlapping
choji (clove-shaped) patterns, large choji that almost reach the shinogi
(ridge), mixed with overlapping hana-choji, with well-defined ashi (legs) and
ha (leaves), creating a complex and turbulent pattern, and the boshi (tip) is
deeply turbulent. The tang is also in the same style as the original, with a
slightly deeper curvature added to the period. This is a representative
masterpiece that fully expresses the splendor of a long tachi, and each choji
seems to come alive, and the skill of evenly tempering it is highly praised.
As an aside, all of Ono swordsmith's reproductions of
Yamatorige are polished using the same sashikomi polishing method as the
original. This particular piece has been meticulously polished using the
sashikomi method by Fujishiro Kori, making the brilliant clove-shaped hamon
pattern stand out even more.
Furthermore, for swordsmith Ohno's most outstanding
works, which represent the best of each year, he has a rule of inscribing only
the year and season of production, omitting the month and day, as in the
"Spring, Heisei 13" inscription on this piece. The habaki (collar) is
also faithfully reproduced, being a shallow, double-layered habaki with a lower
shell made of shakudo and an upper shell with gold plating, just like the
original.
________________________________________
<The History of Sword Making>
Showa 59 (1984)
My encounter with Yamatorige was about fifteen years ago,
at a national convention held in Tokyo. Among the many famous swords on
display, the one that shone particularly brightly was Yamatorige's tachi (long
sword). The blade pattern of this sword was a clove-shaped pattern,
encompassing all the possible patterns, and it was complex, varied, and
overwhelming to behold. As I gazed upon it in awe, I thought that creating such
a blade pattern was impossible, yet I wanted to get even a little closer. I'm sure
any swordsmith aiming for the Bizen Ichimonji would think the same thing. At
that time, I had just become independent, and I was happy just to be able to
make swords, and I enjoyed just being able to research them. Perhaps that's why
I wanted to take on the challenge.
Finding a goal so ambitious that it seemed impossible to
achieve even in a lifetime was what truly changed my life as a sword maker.
Soon after, I acquired a "Kanzan Oshigata" (a type of sword rubbing)
and spent five years gazing at it almost every day, thinking about how I could
get closer to its hamon (temper pattern), and repeatedly experimenting as ideas
came to me. It wasn't until about three years before I made this sword that I
finally saw a glimmer of hope for success. Through further research and experimentation,
I was able to perfect the hamon of this sword.
My encounter with Yamatorige, the emotions it evoked, and
my audacious challenge—this might just be my life story.
(Excerpt from "The World of Yoshimitsu Ohno's
Shigeka Choji Swords - A Journey Following the Ancient Bizen Swords (Published
in 1991)")
________________________________________
<About Yamatorige>
A first-class work of the Ichimonji school from the
mid-Kamakura period. Also known as Yamatorige or Yamayakige.
Blade length: 80.3 cm (2 shaku 6 sun 5 bu) Curvature:
3.18 cm (1 sun 5 rin)
1937: Designated as an Important Art Object. 1940:
Designated as an Important Cultural Property (formerly a National Treasure).
1961: Designated as a National Treasure.
The swords were passed down through the Uesugi family,
and a catalog of swords written by Lord Uesugi Kagekatsu himself lists 28
swords. Of these, 10 were selected as the finest and most prized possessions,
and Yamatorige is one of them, also known as "Yamatemou."
According to the "Uesugi Family Sword
Register," "In October of the second year of Koji, when Lord Kenshin
went to Kozuke Province, Nagao Saemon-no-jo Norikage, lord of Shirai Castle,
presented a sword made by Kanemitsu called Yamatorige (abbreviated name), also
known as Yamayakige, presumably because the beautiful tempered edge resembles
the tail feathers of a mountain bird, or the appearance of a burning mountain
field, hence the name." The title "Yamateumau" is also written
as Yamatorige or Yamayakige, and it was named because the beautiful and
magnificent tempered edge resembles the tail feathers of a mountain bird, or
also evokes the image of a burning mountain field. The blade pattern is rich in
variations in height and protrusion, and in some parts the tempering extends to
the shinogi (ridge line), creating a large and dynamic pattern, and its
excellent condition is also noteworthy. Its history dates back to 1556, when
Uesugi Kenshin was dispatched to Shirai in Kōzō Province, and it was presented
to him by Nagao Saemon-no-jō Norikage, the lord of Shirai Castle. At the time,
it appears to have been attributed to "Bizen Osafune Kanemitsu"
rather than "Ichimonji."
The habaki (collar) still bears traces of cuts, a
testament to ancient military achievements.
The Uesugi family treasured it as one of the 35 swords
personally selected by Lord Uesugi Kagekatsu.
The "Uesugi Family Sword Register" lists it as
item number seven of the Inui series.
It comes with a unique style of aikuchi uchigatana
mounting, which does not include a tsuba (handguard).
remarks:
No inspection
"New Sword Exhibition Award-Winning Works
Collection, 2001" Item
10: Tachi (long sword),
inscribed Made by Yoshimitsu Ohno in Bizen Province
Spring, 2001
Length: 79.5 cm
Tokyo Mitsuo
Yoshikawa
Polishing: Master Matsuo Fujishiro
Shirasaya: Kazuyoshi Takayama
A slight forging is visible in the groove near the
striking edge on the inside of the sword.
Original Japanese Text:
無鑑査
平成十三年新作名刀展 無鑑査出品作品
Mukansa
白鞘 下貝赤銅上貝金無垢二重鎺
No.A00634
刃長 ：
79.5cm（2尺6寸2分） 反り ： 3.3cm（1寸）
元幅 ：
3.4cm 先幅 ： 2.4cm 元重 ：
0.75cm 先重 ： 0.5cm
刀身重量（裸身） ：
977g
登録証： 東京都教育委員会
平成13年12月11日
鑑定書：
国： 東京都
時代： 現代 平成13年 2001年
銘： 於備前国大野義光作之
平成十三年春
形状 ： 鎬造、庵棟、身幅広く、重ね厚く、元先の幅さややつき、長寸にて、腰反り高くつき、中鋒つまりごころに猪首風となる。
鍛 ： 小板目肌細かにつみ、地沸つき、地景入り、乱れ映りたつ。
刃文 ： 鎺元に腰刃をみせ、大丁字乱れ、小丁字少しく交じり、総体に重花状となり、鎬にかかるほど焼き高く華やかに乱れ、足・葉よく入り、匂い本位にわずかに小沸付き、小さく金筋入り、砂流しかかる。
帽子 ： 焼き深く、小さく乱れ込み、小丸に短く返り、先掃きかける。
彫物 ： 表裏に棒樋を掻き通す。
茎 ： 生ぶ、先浅い栗尻、鑢目勝手下がり、目釘孔二。
説明：
大野義光刀匠は、昭和23年10月16日に新潟県西蒲原郡に生まれ、本名を吉川三男という。日本大学農獣医学部に入学し、学生時代より日本刀に興味を持ち、昭和44年に、吉原義人・吉原荘二刀匠らの鍛錬所で日本刀の製作の道に入る。昭和55年、文化庁より「美術刀剣類製作承認」を受け、刀匠となり、同年、新作名刀展に初出品する。昭和51年、新潟県黒崎町に鍛錬所を設けて独立する。昭和57年より62年まで、高松宮賞、文化庁長官賞の特賞を6回連続受賞し、昭和62年に無鑑査認定となる。昭和59年、伊勢神宮第61回式年遷宮の御神刀を謹作する。作風は、備前伝を得意とし、「大野丁子」と呼称される華やかな重花丁子乱れを焼く。就中、上杉家に伝来した名物「山鳥毛」（国宝）を写したものは国内外で高い評価を得ている。
本作は「山鳥毛」を写ししたもので、身幅広く、長寸で、腰反り豊かにつき、猪首鋒となり、長寸ながら手持ちがよい。鍛えは小板目肌つみ、刃文は腰刃をやき、丁子が重なり合い、鎬にまでかかろうとうる大丁子に重花丁子を交え、足・葉よく入り、複雑に乱れて、帽子は深く乱れこむ。茎も本歌と同じく往時の形式で反りがやや深めに加えられている。大野刀匠が53歳の作品で長寸の太刀に、華麗さを十分にあらわしており、一つ一つの丁子が息づいているように感じられ、むらなく焼き上げた手腕が高く評価される代表的な優品である。
余談ながら、大野刀匠の山鳥毛写しの作品の研磨は全てが本歌と同様に差し込み研ぎとなっている。本作は藤代興里師による入念な差し込みによる研磨が施されており、華やかな丁子乱れがより映えて目にすることができる。
また、大野刀匠は各年における代表になるような特に会心の作品には、本作の「平成十三年春」のように「製作年と季節のみ」を刻し、月日を省略するのが掟となっている。鎺も本歌と同様に腰の浅い下貝赤銅上貝金着二重鎺となっており忠実に再現されている。
________________________________________
＜作刀のあゆみ＞
昭和五十九年
私と山鳥毛の出会いは、今から十五年程前、東京で開かれた全国大会の時であったと思います。そのとき多くの名刀が並ぶ中で特に光り輝いて見えたのが山鳥毛の太刀であります。この太刀の刃文は丁子刃と言えるすべての刃文が入っており、複雑で変化に富み、見る者を圧倒します。ただ感激して見ているうちに、このような刃文を作ることは不可能な事だと思いながらも、少しでも近づきたいと思いました。備前の一文字を目標にしている刀匠であるなら誰しも思うことでしょう。当時まだ独立したばかりで、刀を作れるだけで嬉しく、研究できるだけで楽しかった時代でありました。そんな頃ですから挑戦してみたいと思ったのかもしれません。
一生掛かっても出来そうにもない大きな目標を見つけたことが、私の作刀人生を大きく変えたと思います。それからすぐに「寒山押形」を手に入れ、毎日のように見つめること五年、どうしたらこの刃文に近づけるか、いろいろ考え、思いつくまま実験を繰り返しました。ようやく成功のメドがついたのはこの太刀を作る三年ほど前であります。さらに研究と実験を重ねて、この太刀のような刃文が完成したのであります。
山鳥毛との出会い、感激、そして無謀な挑戦、これが私の人生かもしれません。
（「大野義光重花丁子の世界-古刀備前を追う・あゆみ（平成3年刊）」より抜粋）
________________________________________
＜山鳥毛について＞
鎌倉中期における一文字派の第一級の作。山鳥毛、山焼毛とも。
刃長 ：
80.3cm （2尺6寸5分） 反り ： 3.18cm （1寸5厘）
昭和12年：重要美術品指定。昭和15年：重要文化財（旧国宝）指定。昭和36年：国宝指定。
上杉家に伝来し、上杉景勝公自筆の腰物目録には28口の刀剣が記されており、中でも極上のものを上秘蔵として10口選んでおり、山鳥毛もその1口で「山てもう」と記されている。
「上杉家刀剣台帳」に拠れば、「弘治二年十月謙信公上州御出馬の節、白井城主・長尾左エ門尉憲景、兼光作山鳥毛（略名）ノ刀ヲ献ス、又山焼毛トモ謂フ、蓋シ焼刃の美ナル山鳥ノ尾毛、山野ノ燃ユルノ状ニ似タルヲ以て、其模様ヲ形容シタルモノナリ」とあって、「山てうまう」の称号は山鳥毛、あるいは山焼毛とも書き、美しく華麗なる焼刃の様子が山鳥の尾毛に似ていたり、また山野の燃える様をも想わせることから名付けられた。刃文の高低出入りの変化に富み、部分的には焼が鎬にかかるほどに大模様で、躍動感にあふれており、その健全度も特筆される。来歴は、弘治二年（1556年）、上杉謙信公が上州白井に出陣した折に、白井城主の長尾左衛門尉憲景から贈られたものである。当時は「一文字」ではなく「備前長船兼光」に極められていたようである。。
ハバキ元には今なお切り込みの痕跡が残っており、古の武勲を伝えている。
上杉家では、いわゆる上杉景勝公御手選三十五腰の一として珍重された。
「上杉家刀剣台帳」には、乾号の第七号として記載がある。
上杉家独自の様式である鐔のつかない合口打刀拵が附帯する。
備考：
無鑑査
「新作刀展覧会 入賞作品集 平成十三年」 所載
10 太刀 銘
於備前国大野義光作之
平成十三年春
長さ 79.5 糎
東京都
吉川三男
研磨 ： 藤代松雄師
白鞘 ： 高山一之師
佩裏の物打ち辺の樋中にわずかに鍛えがみられます。
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