* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Wakasa-no-kami Ujifusa
若狭守氏房
Description
Origins of Wakasa-no-kami Ujifusa
Wakasa-no-kami Ujifusa was a swordsmith born in Tenbun 3 (1534) in Mino Province (present-day Gifu Prefecture), the third son of the renowned smith Kanefusa. His real name was Kawamura Saburō, and he later changed it to Seizaemon. From childhood he learned forging under his father Kanefusa, and at first he carried on his father's name “Kanefusa.”
Name Change and Service to the Imagawa and Oda Families
Ujifusa later came to make swords at Sunpu at the invitation of Imagawa Ujizane, shugo of Suruga Province (present-day Shizuoka Prefecture). Ujizane granted him the character “Uji,” and he changed his name to Ujifusa. In Eiroku 13 (1570) he was appointed Saemon-no-jō and Wakasa-no-kami, and from then on he signed his works “Wakasa-no-kami Fujiwara Ujifusa.” He later became a swordsmith in the service of Oda Nobunaga.
Changes in Style
In his early period, Ujifusa closely followed the traditional methods of the Mino-den school and produced many works in the Kanefusa-midare, his father Kanefusa's style. In later years, however, his style is said to have shifted toward the Sōshū-den style, and he came to excel at nie-based (nie-hon'i) works featuring ō-gunome-midare and ō-midare.
Representative Work
Ujifusa's most celebrated work is the katana signed “Wakasa-no-kami Ujifusa saku” and dated “Genki ni-nen hachigatsu hi,” which is said to have been worn by Oda Nobunaga during the burning of Mount Hiei (Enryaku-ji) in Genki 2 (1571). It is designated as a Tokubetsu Hozon Tōken.
Disciples and Assessment
After Nobunaga died in the Honnō-ji Incident in Tenshō 10 (1582), Ujifusa returned to Gifu and later moved to Kiyosu. His eldest son, Hida-no-kami Ujifusa, learned forging from his father, changed from a warrior to a swordsmith, and became a renowned smith counted among the Owari Sansaku of later generations. Ujifusa himself became a swordsmith in the service of the Oda family and a central figure among Owari smiths, and he died in Tenshō 18 (1590) at the age of 57.
Famous Works
- katana, signed Wakasa-no-kami Ujifusa-saku, dated Genki 2, 8th month