* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Tametsugu
為継
Description
Lineage
Tametsugu was a swordsmith active in Etchū Province, said to have studied under Etchū Norishige, or alternatively to have been a son of Gō Yoshihiro. He belonged to the Etchū line that carried forward Sōshū-den techniques, and in his later years is counted among the smiths who took part in founding the Mino tradition after relocating to Mino Province.
Career and Migration
After training in Etchū, he is recorded as having moved from Echizen to Akasaka in Anpachi District, Mino Province (present-day Ōgaki City, Gifu Prefecture) around the Ōan era (1375-1379). Together with other transplanted smiths such as Kinjū, he is regarded as one of the craftsmen who helped establish sword forging in Mino Province.
Notable Work
A blade reworked from a naginata into a sword (naginata-naoshi) bearing the signature "Tametsugu" together with an Ōan 7 (1374) date is known to survive.
Assessment
Accounts of Tametsugu's career vary between sources, with both his activity as an Etchū smith and as a Mino smith recorded, leaving some biographical details uncertain. Along with Shizu Saburō Kaneuji and Kinjū, he is positioned as one of the smiths who helped transmit Sōshū-den techniques into Mino Province.
Famous Works
- 薙刀直し刀 銘為継（応安七年紀）