Unrui

雲類
Tradition:Bizen
Province:Bizen
Start Era:Kenji (1275-1278)
End Era:Ōei (1394-1428)

Description:

Smiths of this school lived in Ukai no Sho (鵜飼庄). This school is also known as Ukai (Ugai) and Kumo (as for KUMO or UN character - 雲 which is used in the names of some smiths).

See Yumei Koto Taikan (p.32) for genealogy on Unrui.

Workmanship and style [1]


Tachi

The works of the smiths of this school are about the same from one smith to the next, therefore we give a general description here rather than for any one particular smith.

Shape and construction

Tachi style in both the Early and Mid Kamakura Period and in the ikubi kissaki tachi.
On the whole, the shape of the blade in general is made very firm with high shinogi and thick kasane.

Horimono

Bo-hi and futasuji-hi are seen in rare cases.

Hamon

The width of the yakiba is made wide and in nioi with the pattern in chu-suguba with ko-choji midare and ko-midare mixed together, which will be made in saka style.


References

  1. Swordsmith, Yamanaka, Albert , Nihonto Newsletter, (1968)

Smiths

Namesort icon Kanji Generation Start Era Teacher Ref
Morikage [MOR86] 守景 Bunna (1352-1356) ND
Moritsugu [MOR362] 守次 1st Genkō (1321-1324) NMK-1005-1
Moritsugu [MOR363] 守次 2nd Teiwa (1345-1350) ND NMK-1005-2
Moritsugu [MOR364] 守次 Ryakuō (1338-1342) ND NMK-1005-3
Undō [UND1] 雲同 Genō (1319-1321)
Unji [UNJ1] 雲次 1st Bunpō (1317-1319) NMK-61-5
Unji [UNJ2] 雲次 2nd Teiwa (1345-1350) ND Unji NMK-61-6
Unji [UNJ3] 雲次 3rd Ōan (1368-1375) ND Unji NMK-61-7
Unji [UNJ5] 雲次 4th Ōei (1394-1428) NMK-61-8
Unjō [UNJ6] 雲上 Kōan (1278-1288) NMK-62-6
Unjō [UNJ7] 雲上 Bunna (1352-1356) ND NMK-62-7
Unjū [UNJ21] 雲重 1st Bunna (1352-1356) ND NMK-61-10
Unjū [UNJ22] 雲重 2nd Shitoku (1384-1387) ND NMK-61-11
Unshō [UNJ12] 雲生 1st Kagen (1303-1306) NMK-62-2
Unshō [UNJ13] 雲生 Bunpō (1317-1319)

View swords attributed to this school

Differences between Unshō and Unji

TBJ-508, p.16 wrote:

Generally speaking, Unshō tempers narrow hamon with a few hataraki and Unji does wide hamon with many hataraki.
In addition, Unshō signs his signature above the mekugi-ana and near the mune line but Unji usually signs below the mekugi-ana and in the centre of the nakago.