* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Hiromasa
広正
Description
Lineage
Hiromasa was a Sōshū smith of Sagami Province, said to have trained under Masamune. The first generation is thought to have been active around the Enbun-Kōan era (1356-1361), though most surviving works bear dates from the Bunan-Kyōtoku era (1444-1452).
Style and Migration
He specialized in large hira-zukuri tantō with a broad mihaba, the boshi sweeping with a slight forward lean at the tip. His hamon emphasizes nie in a notare pattern, combined with itame steel. In Bunmei 1 (1469) he is recorded as having moved from Sagami Province to Kōzuke Province (present-day Gunma Prefecture), continuing to forge swords as a retained smith of the Obata clan.
Carving Work
He was known for his skill in horimono carving, and works survive featuring a kurikara-style dragon coiled around the blade.
Assessment
The Hiromasa name is said to have continued across several generations until around the Eishō era (up to 1504), and he is positioned as a smith who transmitted Sōshū-den carving techniques to Kōzuke Province.