Nagasone Okimasa

長曽祢興正

Period

Early Edo period (Shintō era)

School

Nagasone school (second-generation Kotetsu)

Active Years

c. Kanbun–Genroku (1673–1690)

Tradition

Sōshū tradition lineage (Shintō period)

Rank

Saijō Ōwazamono

Description

Nagasone Okimasa and the First Kotetsu

Nagasone Okimasa was a swordsmith who worked in Edo, Musashi Province, in the early Edo period. His common name was Shōbei. He is said to have been either the biological son of the renowned smith Nagasone Okisato, art name Kotetsu, who is listed among the Saijō Ōwazamono in sources such as the Kaihō Kenjaku, a ranking of the cutting performance of Japanese swords, or a disciple who later became his adoptive son. One theory holds that Okimasa had been assisting his teacher Okisato since Okisato's days as an armorer, and that his independent sword-making activity became full-fledged mainly after Okisato's death in the 6th year of Enpō (1678).

Activities as the Second Kotetsu

The earliest extant dated work is from the 13th year of Kanbun (1673), and the latest from the 3rd year of Genroku (1690). During this period he forged katana, wakizashi and yari. Initially he lived in the same place as his teacher Okisato, but based on articles in the Kokka Man'yōki, published in the 10th year of Genroku (1697), among other sources, it is presumed that he had moved to Kanda by this time. His signatures include 'Nagasone Okimasa', 'Nagasone Kotetsu Okimasa' and 'Nagasone Kotetsu Nidaime Okimasa', but no signature using the character form (乕徹) employed by Okisato has been confirmed.

Style

Okimasa's style combines a form with shallow curvature and itame-hada ground steel. He produced gunome-midare with a juzuba-like character and hardened broad hiro-suguha, showing many similarities with the style of his adoptive father Okisato. Sunagashi are also said to be visible in the ground, and this is considered a characteristic.

Evaluation

Few of Okimasa's works survive compared with Okisato's, which is thought to be because he devoted much of his time to assisting his master's sword-making. In Edo-period sword ranking texts he is placed in the “Shintō Saijō-saku”. In terms of cutting performance he was selected as a Saijō Ōwazamono, the highest rank, alongside Okisato. He is highly regarded as a smith whose skill was comparable to that of the First Kotetsu.