1573 , 2 shaku 5 sun 2 bu 76,5cm
SUKESADA GENBEINOJÔ [KÔJI 1555 BIZEN[] SUEKOTÔ JÔJÔSAKU
He made many swords for the House of Urakami, Castle Lord of Tenjin-Yama. Tenjin-yama is said to have been in Bizen Waki-gun Yamada-mura, and I wonder if he was someone who lived there? He is said to be the son of Yosazaemon Sukesada. He continued this family, and his works are from Tenmon to Tenshô. They are katana and tantô, and his style is gonome choji, or sugu ashi iri, sugu hotsure nado.
Signatures: BIZEN KUNI JÛ OSAFUNE GENBEINOJÔ SUKESADA SAKU
This is gonome choji with nioi appearing loosely in the ha, and is a distinctive feature generally throughout late Bizen. There is also a similar style in the Kashû Fujishima Ha, and the Higo Dotanuki Ha nado.
Genbei no Jo Sukesada is said to have been the son of Yosazaemon no Jo Sukesda, one of the most famous Sukesda among others. And, He served Uragami clan who was the head of Tenjinzan castle in Bizen province. His grandfather was Hikobei no Jo Sukesda. And these three Sukesada (Genbei no Jo, Yosazaemon no Jo and Hikobei no Jo) are most well-known and skilled Sukesada during the late Muromachi period.
The swordsmiths in Bizen produced many swords during the Muromachi period as it was in the middle of the Sengoku period (Warring state period). The demand for weapons increased among strong feudal lords. It would be nice to have a piece forged in the warring state period when there was so much rivalry between warlords. It was possible that this blade was ordered by a Samurai and he might have carried it in a battlefield.
Those who forged swords in the Bizen province (Okayama prefecture) at the end of the Muromachi period (1492-1569 A.D) are called Matsu Bizen (Matsu means the end). Sukesada school was one of the most famous schools, and it flourished for generations among Osafune schools (The head branch). There were various styles forged by the generations of Sukesada during this period. Approximately 60 swordsmiths used Sukesada as his maker’s name in the Samurai history. In that sense, the swordsmith’s name “Sukesada” worked as a kind of brand that attracted many Samurai.
Bizen Koku ju Gembei no jo Sukesada ist einer der 3 wichtigsten Schmiede der Sukesada Schmiede und ist der Sohn von Yosazaemon und Enkel von Hikobei Sukesada.
Gembei war einer der berühmtesten Sukesada, arbeitete am Ende der Muromachi Periode und produzierte Schwerter für das Haus der Urakami, Herren der Tenjin Burg in der Provinz Bizen.
Seine Schwerter waren für ihre hohe Qualität bekannt und waren sehr gefragt unter den Samurai. Fujishiro bewertet Gembei no jo Sukesada als besonders guten Schmied (jojo saku). Dieses besonders schöne Katana ist ein wunderbares Exemplar, das die Schmiedekunst von Sukesada eindrucksvoll belegt. Es ist fehlerfrei, also in perfektem Zustand, signiert und datiert. Um dieses schöne Schwert perfekt zu machen, kommt es mit einer sehr schönen, alten Tachi Montierung. Ein beeindruckendes Set mit einem Hozon der NBTHK in Tokyo.
Signatur: Bizen Koku ju Gembei no jo Sukesada, Tensho Gannen 8gatsu ( 1573 )
Nagasa/Länge: 2 shaku, 5 sun, 2 bu, etwa 76,5cm