Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukefusa

Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukefusa's Position

Fukuoka Ichimonji Sukefusa was a swordsmith who worked in Fukuoka-no-shō in Bizen Province (present-day Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture) during the middle Kamakura period. He was one of the master smiths at the core of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school. Sukefusa is said to have been the father of the master smith Yoshifusa. He is counted as one of the six representative smiths of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school, known as Roku Ichimonji (Six Ichimonji).

Roku Ichimonji refers to Sukenori, Sukeshige, Sukefusa, Sukeyoshi, Norifusa and Yoshifusa, all master smiths who were active from the middle to late Kamakura period, based in Fukuoka-no-shō in Bizen Province. Within this group, Sukefusa is said to have passed the technical tradition of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school on to his son Yoshifusa.

Style and the Essence of Bizen-den

Sukefusa's blades show the bold, imposing tachi form that represents the finest period of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school. The typical form of the middle Kamakura period is a tachi with a broad blade width, a firm, sturdy base, and a high koshi-zori. Its imposing character is marked by inokubi-kissaki.

The jitetsu is itame-hada mixed with nagare-hada, and midare-utsuri stands out clearly. This midare-utsuri is one of the most important criteria in the appraisal of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school, and it appears prominently in Sukefusa's works as well. The hamon is mainly large-scale chōji-midare, and it shows a splendid hamon in which kashira, ashi and yō mix intricately. Chōji variations such as ōfusa, jūka and kawazuko are mixed in, and the bright edge of the hamon in nioi-deki is dignified. Many bōshi are midare-komi.

Historical Significance in the Fukuoka Ichimonji School

As one of the Roku Ichimonji and a representative smith of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school in the middle Kamakura period, Sukefusa is also historically important. He was the father of Yoshifusa, to whom five National Treasure swords are attributed, and in that sense he prepared the golden age of the Fukuoka Ichimonji school. Among the Fukuoka Ichimonji school, where many works have been designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, Sukefusa holds an unshakable position as one of the master smiths who supported its middle period.