Osafune Hidemitsu

Osafune Hidemitsu was a swordsmith active in Osafune, Bizen Province (present-day Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture), during the Nanbokuchō period, and is one of the master smiths belonging to the Osafune school lineage. The Nanbokuchō period (mid to late 14th century) was when the Osafune school enjoyed its greatest prosperity; many smiths following the lineages of Nagamitsu and Kagemitsu stood side by side and formed the golden age of Bizen blades, and within this Hidemitsu established a distinctive body of work with outstanding skill. Bizen blades of the Nanbokuchō period are characterized by a style that inherited the elegance of the Kamakura period while adding a boldness reflecting the turmoil of the age, and this tendency is also seen in Hidemitsu's blades. The style is Sōden-Bizen (Bizen work influenced by the Sōshū tradition); the hamon is mainly midare (irregular), and some have hitatsura, making them splendid, and they fully embody the bold spirit of the Nanbokuchō period. The nioi-guchi along the habuchi is bright, and kinsuji and sunagashi appear within the hamon (ha-naka). The same name continued until the fourth generation in the late Muromachi period; the second Hidemitsu, active in the Nanbokuchō period, is said to be a son of Osafune Motomitsu and is ranked among the Saijō Ō-wazamono. Among signed works are tachi designated Important Cultural Property, such as the tachi held by Nezu Shrine (dated Kōryaku 2 (1380)).