Nihonto Club

Biography and lineage

Founder of Yamashiro Nobukuni group. Lived in either Kyoto's Shinanokōji 信濃小路 or Horikawa 堀川 district.

See the group record for more details about the treatment of the first two generations of Nobukuni. Description below is based on the chosen version.

Son of Ryō Hisanobu or Ryō Kunihisa [1].

He changed name from Nobuhisa to Nobukuni [2].

Worked in Ryōkai style. Ko-itame with ji-nie, suguba with ashi or small choji-like patterns emerging from midareba.

See also 信国 (初代).

According to Kunzan, extant mumei wakizashi from 板谷胤雄氏蔵 is attributed to Nobukuni, but it's a suriage mumei blade. Meikan lists nenki of Kemmu, 2.

Workmanship and style [3]

1. Tachi

Shape and construction

Mostly made in the tachi style of Yoshino period. Though there are some works made in the style of the Mid-Kamakura period, but very rarely.

Horimono

Bo-hi or bo-hi with soe-bi, futatsuji-hi, some will be with ken-maki-ryu or with bonji or combinations of these. In all cases they are extremely well executed.

Hamon

The yakiba is wide and made of nie. The pattern will be in ō-midare, notare-midare and some will be in chu-suguba with midare.

Boshi

Midare-komi with slight kaeri.

Jitetsu and hada

The texture of the steel will be very fine with the grain in ō-mokume with itame mixed in. There will be ji-nie which turns into chikei in places.

Nakago

Nakago is a little short, ending in kuri-jiri or shallow kengyo. File marks are in katte sagari or suji chigai.

2. Tanto and ko-wakizashi

Nobukuni made shorter sword in two styles: those resembling Sadamune and those resembling Rai Kunitoshi of Yamashiro.

2.1. Sadamune style

Shape and construction

Hira-zukuri ko-wakizashi or sun-nobi tanto. In either case they are made is saki-zori. Mihaba is wide and kasane is thin. Also made katakiriha style. Mune is mostly in shin-no-mune.

Horimono

Typical carving of Nobukuni will be bonji at the top under which there will be a ken with tsume which will be set on a rendai. Also, yoraku will be seen on some of the blades. The tip of the ken carving is made deep.

Hamon

Yakiba is made wide, in ō-midare with ara-nie and sunagashi. There will be inazuma. Some of the works are in ko-midare with ko-notare and with fine nie.

Boshi

Ko-maru with nie.

Jitetsu and hada

Jitetsu is very fine with ō-mokume hada and itame mixed in. In places there can be a masame-like grain. Ji-nie can be seen.

Nakago

Nakago is made short in tanago-bara style with the tip in kuri-jiri or kengyo. File marks are in kiri. Mostly signed in two characters 信國.

2.2. Rai Kunitoshi style

Shape and construction

Hira-zukuri in takenoko-zori and in jōsun length. It lacks hiraniku. Mune is in shin-no-mune.

Horimono

Suken on the front and goma-hashi on the back. On both sides there will be exceptionally well made bonji.

Nobukuni made many different types of carvings, but those made in this particular style (Rai Kunitoshi) are with the types of the Kamakura period Yamashiro style of carvings.

Hamon

Hamon is made in nie and in hoso-suguba hotsure, or in chu-suguba hotsure. In comparison to Rai Kunitoshi the workings are somewhat lacking.

Boshi

Made in ko-maru. However, the kaeri is in yoru.

Jitetsu and hada

Jitetsu is a little 'rough' and the grain in ko-mokume hada 'stands out'.

Nakago

Made short and stubby with the tip in kuri-jiri with file marks in kiri or katte-sagari.

The signature is in two characters: 信國.

References