Jirōtarō Naokatsu

Lineage and School

Jirōtarō Naokatsu was a late-Edo-period swordsmith and a pupil of Taikei Naotane, one of the leading masters of the shinshintō era. Originally known as Kazusa Jirōtarō, he entered Naotane's school, married his daughter, and was later adopted as his son. He was granted "Jirō," Naotane's own early name, and signed as "Kazusa Jirō Naokatsu," later adopting the signature "Shōji Jirōtarō Naokatsu." As Naotane was a pupil of Suishinshi Masahide, Naokatsu stands within the broader Suishinshi lineage.

Career

Naokatsu served the Akimoto family of the Tatebayashi domain in Kōzuke Province and lived in Shitaya, Edo. He died on the 22nd day of the seventh month of Ansei 5 (1858), at the age of 54. In 1852 he worked at Suibara in Echigo Province, and a katana signed "Shōji Jirōtarō Fujiwara Naokatsu, Kaei go-nen ni-gatsu hi, Echigo no Kuni Suibara ni oite kore o tsukuru" survives. Works dated Tenpō 6 (1835), Kōka 5 (1848), and Ansei 2 (1855) survive, showing that he continued forging from the Tenpō through the Ansei eras. His son, Yakado Naokatsu, born in 1835, first signed as Naoyoshi and later as "Shōji Yakado Naokatsu," succeeding as the second generation; like his father he excelled at Bizen work in the manner of Kagemitsu and Kanemitsu, and died in 1884.

Style

Naokatsu excelled at katana copying the kataochi (slanting) gunome-midare seen in the work of Kagemitsu and Kanemitsu of the Osafune school of Bizen. The Echigo Suibara katana shows tightly forged ko-itame-hada with vivid midare-utsuri and is described as a copy of Kagemitsu, although the gently undulating boshi at the point is noted as a difference from Kagemitsu.

Some of his hamon mix gunome with slanting (saka) ashi, showing Sōshū influence. He was also skilled at copying top-rank Sōshū works, and his broad, powerful blades in that manner are even said to surpass Naotane's own.

Reputation

In his later years Naotane is said to have had Naokatsu produce a great many works on his behalf (daisaku), showing the depth of his master's trust. Known as a master who faithfully carried on Naotane's style, Naokatsu is ranked jōjōsaku in the shinshintō rankings. As a smith who inherited both Naotane's Bizen and Sōshū manners, he is indispensable to any account of late-Edo shinshintō.