Exhibition Main Captions

At its most basic, the Muromachi Period is often thought of as the years encompassing the rule of the Muromachi Bakufu (military government) from 1336 until the defeat in 1573 of its final leader, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, at the hands of famed warlord Oda Nobunaga. By many though, it is used as a catch-all term to cover the entire span from 1336-1603. This period encompasses everything from the Nanbokuchō (Northern & Southern Courts) Period (1336-1392), during which the imperial throne was contested by two rival claimants, through to the end of the following Warring States Period (1467-1603), a century & a half of instability brought about by the Muromachi government's effective loss of control over the country.

Taking this second broader view of history, we reveal how the changing times left their mark on the evolution of swords here in Bizen Osafune between 1336 & 1603, focussing on the many fascinating ways their shape & workmanship changed.

The Nanbokuchō saw conflict engulf the country, sparked by rifts in the imperial household & the formation of two rival courts, one in Kyōto & one in Nara. Forced to adapt, swords became broader & much longer, with extended points. Compensating for this new colossal size, smiths made them thinner & increasingly carved grooves to remove material & reduce their great weight.

Later seen as impractical, most Nanbokuchō swords were shortened by future owners. This process removed much of the sword's tang, where the maker usually engraved their name, so that today Nanbokuchō blades are without a signature.
This period also saw a style of swordmaking pioneered in what is now Kanagawa Prefecture by the famed smith Masamune, spread across Japan. In Bizen Province, this 'Sōshū Tradition' merged with local workmanship to create something new, the Sōden Bizen. Retaining some Osafune School features from the Kamakura Period (1185-1336), like a variable 'utsuri' shadow pattern, they are generally more restrained, incorporating straight & 'botan' (peony) shadow patterns & gently undulating temper lines. Sōden Bizen works often have an elongated, circular grain studded with coarse sparkling steel crystals.

During the Nanbokuchō Period (1336-1392), several sublines, such as those of Chōgi & Motoshige, split off from the dominant main line of the Osafune School, continuing to ply their trade in Osafune alongside them. In addition, those smiths that worked in the Osafune region from the late Nanbokuchō through to the early to mid Muromachi, roughly the late 14th century to the turn of the 16th, & which cannot be cleanly placed in the Osafune School, are known as the Kozori.

Kozori blades are best known for their shape. Relatively thick, with small points & a gentle taper from hilt to point, they have a more slight, elegant appearance compared to swords by the contemporary Osafune main line. By contrast, their elongated oval itame steel grain & variable temper line are very similar in style, with the latter just slightly smaller in form than that of the Osafune main line.

Facilitated by the Muromachi Bakufu, the northern & southern imperial courts reunified in 1392, ending nearly 60 years of war. The following peace saw huge leaps in the economy & the arts. 

Amid the cultural flowering of the Ōei Era* (1394-1428), smiths in Bizen Province began to transition away from the large, battlefield blades of preceding decades. Taking inspiration from the elegant tachi of the mid to late Kamakura Period (1185-1336), considered the golden age of sword-making, they created a distinct stylistic movement known today as the Ōei Bizen.

Though fairly broad near the hilt, Ōei blades are overall delicate & slender in appearance, their small points & deeper curve near the tip in stark contrast to swords of the Nanbokuchō (1336-1392). Vanishing briefly in the Nanbokuchō, the distinctive Bizen clove bud temper pattern reappears with the Ōei Bizen, alongside a broad 'koshi hiraki gunome' wave design. In the dark area above the temper line, 'Ōei moku', a grain pattern of elongated itame whirls with small 'komokume' circles, is often seen, along with shadowy utsuri that runs parallel to the main temper line.

 

Following the accession of the 6th Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Yoshinori, the political situation in Japan collapsed, leading to  renewed conflict. These battles saw a move away from the small groups of elite cavalry of old, to large standing armies of infantry, the increasing size of which led, in addition to the continued creation of custom blades, to the mass-production of katana & wakizashi short swords. This increased production was further spurred by the development of trade between Japan & China's Ming dynasty, with many blades travelling overseas.

In Bizen Province, the smiths that worked in this period, together with the swords they made, are known as 'Eikyō Bizen', named after the Eikyō Era that ran from 1429-1441. Unlike the opulent blades of the preceding Ōei Era (1394-1428), the shape of swords from the Eikyō suggest a sense of sturdy reliability, becoming thicker & shorter. The steel grain meanwhile becomes finer & less open & the temper line less expansive than those of the previous era. Shadowy 'utsuri' is still visible however, either as a straight line or as a variable pattern.

The outbreak of the 10 year Ōnin War in 1467 spelled the end of the Muromachi Shogunate's control over Japan in anything but name. Sparking the fire of the Sengoku Jidai, or Warring States Period, the instability brought about by this power vaccuum created increased demand for weapons, with huge numbers of blades, especially katana & yari spears, being made in the provinces of Bizen (Okayama Pref.) & Mino (Gifu Pref.).

The final century of the Sengoku Jidai is considered the final stage of the 'Old Sword Period' by sword scholars, with Bizen swords from this time known as 'Sue Bizen' (Late Bizen) blades. Katana from this period were mostly made to be wielded & drawn swiftly with a single hand, something that is reflected in their thick construction, with a curve concentrated near the point, & a tang that, while short, is long in comparison to the blade's total length. Starting out with an edge-length averaging roughly 65cm, by the end of the 16th century Sue Bizen swords grew to an average of 70cm in length, with their tangs too lengthening to permit two-handed wielding & their points growing significantly.

Swords made by the Sue Bizen are generally divided into two categories; the first are those mass produced for the massed ranks of regular infantry used in militaries of the time, while the second are those that were carefully made to order for the rich & powerful.

While almost all Sue Bizen swords have a very tight, dense grain pattern, those made to order display greater levels of artistry, featuring details such as glittering crystals of jinie. Greater precision is also evident in these custom blades, their temper-lines often being straight, as opposed to the highly variable ones of those swords made at an industrial scale.

Another thing that differs is the signature seen on these blades. Where a swordsmith's inscription on a blade for a powerful lord is usually longer & include information such as the smith's first name, client's name, & place of production. 
Despite the many differences between mass-produced & tailor-made blades, one point in common is that the utsuri shadow pattern so associated with Bizen swords of earlier centuries ceases to be seen on either during this period.

A sudden drop in Osafune's production output starting in the 1580s & 90s was once considered the result of massive damage inflicted by the great flood of the Yoshii River in 1591. Research however suggests it was not the main cause. Instead, a perfect storm of challenges seem to have combined to precipitate the downfall of Osafune's once dominant sword-making industry.  

Staunch supporters like the Akamatsu & Uragami clans saw themselves fall from grace at the same time as the Ukita Clan found itself defeated at Sekigahara, the battle that decided the balance of power for the next 260 years. Just as their top patrons' stars were fading, Osafune smiths saw their access to both local & international markets reduced. As local merchants moved to the more distant but rapidly growing castle town of Okayama, Japan's lucrative trade relationship with China was effectively shut down. Finally, the mass confiscation of blades in the the late 16th century 'sword hunts' put natural downward pressure on demand for new blades.

Despite these challenges, & thanks in large part to smiths such as the famous Kōzuke Daijō Sukesada, swordmaking would go on to continue in the region into the 17th century & beyond.

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