Kinju

designation Juyo Token period Early Nambokucho nakago O-suriage mumei, 3 mekugiana nagasa 70.3 cm sori 1.8 cm motohaba 3.1 cm sakihaba 3.0 cm horimono koshibi, both sides. price -sold-

click here to view the 30 picture slideshow for this sword.

Kinju is one of the famous Masamune no Juttetsu, the ten great students of Masamune. Several of the smiths in that exalted club are doubtfully students of Masamune, but Kinju is thought to have studied under the master.

He originally came from Echizen, and along with Shizu Kaneuji, moved to Mino after their time studying under Masamune. Although there was swordmaking already in this province, whatever was there previously was completely superseded by the style imported and developed by these two master smiths. Together then, they are considered the founders of the Mino school as we know it. While the work of Shizu is comparatively common, the work of Kinju is extremely rare. One tends to read often that his style resembles Shizu, which is understandable given that they have a shared background in Yamato, and then their Soshu tutelage gives them a common flavor. Kinju however usually makes a more subdued and quiet hamon, while Shizu is given to grand expressions of activity.

Kinju and Shizu made swords only in the early, formative style of Mino, and it is the mixing of these styles (Yamato and Soshu), and their refinement and development over time, that eventually gives full standing to the Mino den as the last of the classical schools of Nihonto.

In viewing Kinju's work, one expects to see small patterns of ko-gunome midare sprinkled with elegant activities of kinsuji and sunagashi, with fine chikei in the jihada. The almost trademark mix of itame and masame remains a key element in the kantei of the works of the two founders and invariably you will see them mentioned together in the same context.

Kinju is the master behind the Seki school of swordsmiths; their practical style of effective fighting swords were to form the arsenal of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi and be the fuel behind the eventual unification of Japan. The popularity of Mino during the late Muromachi period carried forward into the Shinto period as smiths from that province spread through the newly unified country and their work has gone on to be one of the primary ingredients in the style of the Shinto period. So though his work is hard to find now, the reach of Kinju through the history of the Japanese Sword has proven to be quite great.

Both Fujishiro sensei and Nagayama sensei in their books make the statement that his work is extremely rare, and because of this there tends to be not too much said other than the comparison to Shizu. Fujishiro rates him at Jo-Jo Saku, for extremely high level of quality and skill.

In an interesting note, at the Shimada Museum of Arts in Japan, there is a collection of paintings, calligraphy and sculptures by the great artist/warrior/author Miyamoto Musashi, as well as some of his personal effects. On display is one of the swords he carried during his lifetime, an O-suriage Kinju, which is testimony to the effectiveness and power found in his work. I have had the pleasure of examining three Kinju, one of which is the famous signed tanto with horimono. Each time I have found his work to radiate a sense of strength, and to be rather imposing in size and overall dimensions. Musashi was supposed to have been a large man, so it would not be surprising that he would have felt comfortable with a Kinju in his hands.

Juyo Token Kinju

This massive sword is one of my favorites.

It is of the form commonly called a nagamaki naoshi, but more properly referred to as a naginata naoshi. Naginata can be found in various forms, with the long sword-like form similar to this one being considered by some to be nagamaki. The root of the term nagamaki involves koshirae, so it is probably not the correct term to be using, though this very much falls into "to each their own" territory.

When it passed Juyo Token, the NBTHK classified it as a katana. This is a shape that is seen sometimes in the works of Kinju and Shizu, with the large kissaki. However, Tanobe sensei classified it as a naginata naoshi. It is quite unusual to find one of this size, as it is over 70 cm in length, and very robust. One picture of the slideshow puts it side by side with a very healthy daito from the same period, and one can see how the sugata of the Kinju radiates dominance.

The jihada of this sword is gorgeous, done with a style that has a lot of Yamato flavor. His relationship to the Senjuin school in his roots can also been seen in the sugata as the mune is very narrow and the shinogi very high, giving the sword an almost diamond like cross section. The steel is dark and stark, and it is filled with beautiful chikei complimented by the quiet and harmonious hamon marked carefully with dark kinsuji and sunagashi, typical of the work of Kinju. In places these lines break free of the hamon forming hotsure in typical Yamato style, and almost seeming to be nijuba and sanjuba in areas. Click on the oshigata to get a high res picture of this activity.

The size and weight of this piece make it one of the exceptions to the saying that "koto works are light in the hand." That saying is based on many being shortened and being worn down by frequent polishes. This work seems nearly original, and has a heft that makes one think of the anti-cavalry purposes behind naginata, and in its new form, it would seem to be quite an armor breaker.

To find a work by Kinju is quite rare, and to be appreciated. Robert Benson has written his opinion in the past, that of the 10 disciples of Masamune, his work is the most difficult to locate. To find one that is in such a state of health as well as being such a beautiful work is even more special. It would certainly be the centerpiece of many a collection, as there are not many smiths who are regarded as the founders of one of the Gokaden, and among those the work of Kinju is particularly infrequent and wonderful to see.