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KOYAMA MUNETSUGU

Munetsugu's given name was Katayama Sobei and he was born in 1802 in Shirakawa province in Oshu Prefecture. He was the younger brother of Koyama Munehira and Koyama Munetoshi. He was a member of the Kato Tsunahide Mon. He also had the given names of Issensai or Seiryosai. Later Munetsugu went to Edo and worked as a retained swordsmith of the Kuwana family.

In 1845 he received the title of Bizen no Suke. He produced many fine blades from around 1830 up until the beginning of Meiji. His works done in the Tenpo era (1830-1845) are considered some of his best. As the clan smith of the Kuwana clan, the Han Samurai often subjected his blades to cutting tests. For that reason, there are many of his blades surviving with cutting tests.

Munetsugu was considered to be the master of the Bizen Den Ichimonji style of choji midare during the early part of the Shinshinto period. Both the Ji and the Ha are clear and distinct in his works, and he is probably the best of the smiths who tempered with the Bizen Den style.

SUGATA::

Shinogi zukuri katana and wakizashi are the most common. The sori is often robust with thick kasane. The kissaki is usually chu-kissaki and those with an extended style boshi are rare. Generally his blades are iori-mune.

JITETSU:

The jitetsu is excellent being a very tight itame in the muji style. There are also times when he made an o-itame hada with some mokume. In all cases his jitetsu is bright and clear.

HAMON:

He is most famous for his Bizen choji-midare hamon, which he made throughout his career from beginning to end. The hamon is nioi based. Once in a while there is a different style hamon such as wide suguba, but this is the exception as during his life he worked to revive the Ichimonji style on Bizen choji-midare hamon.

BOSHI:

Generally the boshi continues the shape of the hamon with a short kaeri. Generally his boshi are referred to as being midare-komi with a short turn back.

NAKAGO:

His nakago shape and yasuremei are interesting in their variety. Generally his nakago will be long and shaped very well in balance with the blade. His jiri was generally kuri-jiri and iriyama-gata, but there were also kengo shaped ones. His kesho changed as he got older. He did sujikai and kesho, kiri and o-sujikai kesho.

MEI:

He signed in a great variety of ways. Some of his more common signatures are:

KOYAMA MUNETSUGU

MIYAKE SHIGETAKA OKYU KOYAMA MUNETSUGU TSUKURU KORE

BIYO JU KOYAMA MUNETSUGU SAKU KORE

KOYAMA BIZEN NO SUKE MUNETSUGU

BIZEN NO SUKE FUJIWARA MUNETSUGU

KUWANA KERAI KATAYAMA KENRYUSHI MUNETSUGU SAKU

HORIMONO:

Hi is seen but rarely and other styles of carvings are exceedingly rare.

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