Echizen Yasutsugu II
越前康継（二代）
Description
Successor in Edo — Echizen Yasutsugu II
The second-generation Echizen Yasutsugu was the eldest son of the first-generation Yasutsugu, who had been granted the rare honor of engraving the Tokugawa hollyhock crest (aoi-mon) on his tangs. His personal name was Shimosaka Ichinojō; later, as a lay Buddhist priest, he took the name Kōetsu.
Career
Recognized for his talent by shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, he was ordered to settle permanently in Edo and was granted a residence in Kanda Kon'ya-chō. He subsequently worked alongside his father as an official swordsmith to the shogunate; blades forged in Edo are sometimes considered superior to those made in Echizen, owing to greater access to information and contact with other smiths in the capital.
Style
His style closely resembled that of the first generation; both father and son were rated highly enough to be listed in later wazamono cutting-quality rankings.
Succession Dispute
He died on the 15th day of the 2nd month of Shōhō 3 (1646). Because his heir, Umanosuke, was still a minor, a succession dispute arose with the first generation's third son, Shirōemon. Mediation by retainers of the Echizen Matsudaira clan and by Abe Masayuki resolved the matter: Umanosuke inherited the Edo branch of the Shimosaka family, while Shirōemon established a separate branch in Echizen.