Horikawa Kunitake

Horikawa Kunitake was a swordsmith active during the first half of the 17th century, and one of the many students of Horikawa Kunihiro (c. 1531-1614), the smith regarded as the founder of the Shintō (New Sword) tradition.

Training and Origins

Kunitake studied under Horikawa Kunihiro, who established his forge at Ichijō Horikawa in Kyoto and founded the Horikawa school, the most influential group of the early Shintō period. Kunihiro's students included such later masters as Dewa Daijō Kunimichi, Izumi no Kami Kunisada, Kawachi no Kami Kunisuke, and Echigo no Kami Kunitomo. Kunitake is said to have been the youngest son of Sanjō Yoshinori.

Style

Kunitake's work falls within the stylistic range of his teacher and reflects the Horikawa tradition. Because so few of his blades survive, there is little material from which to characterize his style independently, and he is generally understood through the work of Kunihiro.

Extant Work and Reputation

Surviving works by Kunitake are very rare, and little biographical detail about him has been transmitted. While blades of the Horikawa school are collectively known as "Horikawa-mono," Kunitake ranks among the sparsest producers within that group.

Legacy

Kunitake is recorded as the father of Izumo no Daijō Yoshitake, forming one line by which the Horikawa lineage passed to the following generation.