Nihonto Club

Biography and lineage

Yoshinobu is the 3rd son of Nakajima Shingobei 中島新五兵衛. His initial name was Sadenjirō 佐伝次郎, then changed to Yashichibei 弥七兵衛. When he married the eldest daughter of Shodai Tadayoshi he became the head of Tadayoshi school.

In Keicho 19 (1614) the first son of Shodai Tadayoshi was born (by a mistress) and became the new head of the school (later known as Omi Daijō Tadahiro 近江大掾忠廣 ). Yoshinobu then set up a new family branch of the Hizen school. Yoshinobu's first son was Masahiro 正廣 and the second son was Yukihiro 行廣. Both branches had been loved most tenderly by the Nabeshima clan for generations and prospered until early Meiji, 1860's.

It is said that he passed away in Kanei 10 (1633) at 46 years of age, however there is an extant sword dated Kanei 13 (1636) and also there is a letter of Kanei 14 (1637) with Yoshinobu being mentioned in it. Other research material shows that he died in Kanei 15 (1638), at 51 years of age.

Workmanship and style

Yoshinobu was known to be a ghost-maker for Shodai Tadayoshi and as a result his works are quite rare. Most of his works in suguba were signed Hizen Kuni Tadayoshi 肥前國忠吉 or Musashi Daijō Tadahiro 武蔵大掾忠廣 or sometimes as Omi Daijō Tadahiro 近江大掾忠廣, whereas other works with flamboyant gunome hamon were signed as Yoshinobu or sometimes signed after his first son Masahiro 正廣.

Yoshinobu is considered to be the originator of flamboyant gunome choji hamon in Hizen school.