Archived Nihonto.ca (Yuhindo.com): Reisen Sadamori

Reisen Sadamori

Reisen Sadamori is a swordsmith in the Kongobyoe school of Chikuzen province. Works of this maker, and in general of this school, are quite rare. Named after the harbor town, Reisen in Hakata City, he was a sword smith ruled by the Southern Imperial Court, as evidenced by a rare extent work; a tanto inscribed Shohei 25. This date corresponds to Ohan 3, the date in the Northern Court, which is roughly 1370 in the Gregorian calendar. Sadamori’s earliest extant dated work is 1350 AD, and he is rated in the Toko Taikan at 500 man yen which is roughly equivalent to a Jo-saku rating from Fujishiro (who does not list the smith). There exists a dated tanto by the smith with a 1369 date on it, roughly establishing his work period.

The Kongobyoe school had its own style that exhibits both Yamashiro and Yamato influences. Thus, a classification of majiwarimono, or “off the path”, can be used to describe their works. The Kongobyoe school passes down from smiths Takanawa, Morikuni, Moritaka, and then to the various other smiths of the school, including Reisen Sadamori.

The following is partial commentary on, Reisen Sadamori, Juyo Token no.6568 by Ted Tenold:

Examining the forging pattern, the influences of Chikuzen province are immediately evident in the well forged, dense, itame with mokume and insertions of chikei. The masame in the ha of Kongobyoe works lends to their general classification of Yamato-den style. The jigane has a very slightly whitish cast which in conjunction with the nagare (streaming) tendencies, is seen in swords from the Kyushu region. Hataraki of ko-ashi and yo insertions are modest and subdued, and are accompanied by ha hada. The steel shows fine quality throughout, despite areas where shingane is evident in the ji of the monouchi on the sashi-omote.

The characteristics that define Kongobyoe swords; high quality jigane, thick kasane, chukissaki, and thin hososuguha hamon, made for a sword that was highly break resistant and could stand up to the Mongol’s thick armor as the smiths of this school residing on Kyushu stood first in the path of the Mongol invasions.

There are 15 Juyo blades by this smith, and given the rarity of his work, speaks to a high regard held for his swords. Furthermore, held in even higher regard, there is a signed Juyo Bijutsuhin tanto by this smith. The signature is 筑州冷泉貞盛 Chikushu Reisen Sadamori. Reisen is thought to be the harbor name for Hakata.

Before the adoption of the Soshu style in Chikuzen by O-Sa and his descendants, the Chikuzen smiths and those who remained outside the circle of O-Sa going forward, maintained a very conservative style which tended to take little influence from the rest of Japan.

The lineage of the Sa school passes down through Takanawa, Ryosai, Sairen, Jitsua and then to O-Sa passing father to son. Some documents have Nyusai, brother of Ryosai, as the father of Samonji (O-Sa). The lineage of the parallel Kongobyoe school passes from Takanawa, Morikuni, Moritaka, and then to the various smiths of the school. Their common traits include hoso suguba manufacture and a sotoba nakagojiri which is the shape of the end of wooden tablets used for grave makers.

This particular Sadamori is very well made and shows an old and conservative style. The hamon is ito suguba, which is very narrow and done just along the ha, with many small workings in it. Ito suguba allows for the bare minimum of hardened material, just enough so that the blade may take on a razor’s edge, with the rest of the blade being more durable but softer steel. The goal of this style of manufacture is a sword that is highly resistant to breaking.

This sword is a consigned piece and should be considered a candidate for submission to Juyo, because of the rarity and standing of the maker, as well as the excellent state of preservation.