* Image is for illustrative purposes only.1352-1356Nanboku-chō Dated Swords (Northern Court Nengō)
Bunwa Era
文和（ぶんな・ぶんわ）
Bunwa (1352–1356) was a nengō of the Northern Court. The tachi known as 'Ikkoku Kanemitsu', a work of Osafune Kanemitsu of Bizen, bears a Bunwa inscription with the cyclical sign 'kinoto-hitsuji' (乙未) and is designated an Important Cultural Property.
Description
The Northern Court's Nengō "Bunwa"
Bunwa (ぶんな / ぶんわ) was a nengō used by the Northern Court, covering 1352 to 1356. It falls within the turbulent years of the Nanboku-chō period.
A Dated Blade That Survives
The tachi by Bizen Osafune Kanemitsu, known as "Ikkoku Kanemitsu" (Important Cultural Property, held by the Kōchi Castle Museum of History), has a reverse inscription cut as "Bunwa 22" (written 二二 in place of 四, Bunwa 4, probably to avoid that character) with the cyclical sign 'kinoto-hitsuji' (乙未). The sign gives December 1355.
Characteristics of This Era
- The Northern Court nengō Bunwa (1352–1356)
- The dated Osafune Kanemitsu tachi 'Ikkoku Kanemitsu' (Important Cultural Property)
- The reverse inscription reads 二二 (Bunwa 22) in place of Bunwa 4, probably to avoid the character 四; the cyclical sign gives 1355
Notable Swordsmiths
Osafune Kanemitsu (Bizen)