* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Kyowa Era
享和（きょうわ）
Kyowa (1801-1804) was a short era of the late Edo period, following Kansei and preceding Bunka. In sword history it falls within the shinshintō period. Suishinshi Masahide, regarded as the founder of shinshintō, worked early on in the manner of the Osaka shinto smiths, including toran-ha hamon copied from Tsuda Sukehiro; later he advocated the "restoration theory" (fukko shintō-ron), calling for a return to the swords of the Kamakura and Nanbokuchō periods. His school produced Taikei Naotane and Hosokawa Masayoshi, who formed the mainstream of the shinshintō era through to the end of the Edo period.
Description
Placing the Kyowa era
Kyowa (1801-1804) was a short era of the late Edo period, following Kansei and preceding Bunka. It is rarely discussed on its own in sword history, and it falls within the shinshintō period.
The working years of Suishinshi Masahide
Suishinshi Masahide (1750-1825), regarded as the founder of shinshintō, forged blades for roughly fifty years, from the Anei era through the Bunsei era. In his early years he produced ō-midare hamon and then toran-midare hamon copied from Tsuda Sukehiro, in the manner of the Osaka shinto smiths.
From the study of old traditions to the restoration theory
Later, influenced by the revivalist thought that accompanied the rise of kokugaku (National Learning), Masahide advocated the "restoration theory" (fukko shintō-ron), calling for a return to the swords of the Kamakura and Nanbokuchō periods, and apprenticed himself to smiths in various provinces to learn the secrets of the Sōshū and Bizen traditions.
Formation of the school
Masahide's school produced smiths such as Taikei Naotane and Hosokawa Masayoshi. These students went on to form the mainstream of the shinshintō era through to the end of the Edo period, so the activity of the Suishinshi school around the Kyowa years helped set the direction of later sword history.
Characteristics of This Era
- Kyowa (1801-1804) is a short late-Edo era falling between Kansei and Bunka
- It sits in the middle of Suishinshi Masahide's working span, from Anei to Bunsei
- In his early years Masahide produced ō-midare and then toran-midare hamon copied from Tsuda Sukehiro, in the Osaka shinto manner
- Masahide later advocated the "restoration theory" (fukko shintō-ron), calling for a return to Kamakura and Nanbokuchō swords, and studied the Sōshū and Bizen traditions
- His school produced Taikei Naotane and Hosokawa Masayoshi, who formed the mainstream of the shinshintō era