* Image illustrative uniquement.Uesugi Clan and Yonezawa Domain Sword Culture
上杉家・米沢藩の刀剣文化
The sword culture handed down through generations of the Uesugi clan — from the Sengoku-period warlords Uesugi Kenshin and Kagekatsu to the family's continuation as lords of Yonezawa domain through the Edo period. Kenshin's favored blades, a tachi (named 'Sanchomo') and a tanto (named 'Kenshin Kagemitsu'), are both designated National Treasures, and the '35 swords hand-selected by Kagekatsu' (Otesen Sanjugo-koshi) also survive as celebrated masterworks.
Description
Historical Background
Born into the family of the Echigo shugodai (deputy military governor), Uesugi Kenshin rose to become a Sengoku-period warlord who contended for dominance in the Kanto and Hokuriku regions, and he was also known as a passionate sword collector. His adopted heir Kagekatsu succeeded him, and although the clan suffered a drastic reduction in domain size — from 1.2 million koku in Aizu to 300,000 koku (later 150,000) in Yonezawa, Dewa Province, following the settlement after the Battle of Sekigahara — the Uesugi family survived as lords of Yonezawa domain until the Meiji Restoration, preserving and passing down its heirloom swords.
Renowned Swords of the Uesugi Family
A tachi said to have been Kenshin's favored blade (unsigned Ichimonji work, named "Sanchomo") and a tanto signed by Bishu Osafune Kagemitsu (named "Kenshin Kagemitsu") are both designated National Treasures. The former is a masterwork of the Ichimonji school featuring a brilliant clove-shaped (choji) temper pattern, while the latter is renowned as a dated work by Osafune Kagemitsu of Bizen. In addition, the "35 swords hand-selected by Kagekatsu" (Otesen Sanjugo-koshi), said to have been chosen from among the clan's holdings, include numerous blades designated Important Cultural Properties or Important Art Objects.
Preservation under Yonezawa Domain
Throughout the Edo period, the Uesugi family of Yonezawa domain carefully preserved its heirloom swords despite the severe financial hardship caused by the drastic reduction in domain revenue. These swords continued to be protected by the Uesugi family even after the abolition of the domains, and today many are held and exhibited at the Yonezawa City Uesugi Museum (Denkoku no Mori).
Historical Significance
The Uesugi family's sword collection is a rare example of a single daimyo house consistently preserving and transmitting its holdings from the Sengoku period through the Meiji Restoration. With a substantial body of heirloom works including two National Treasures, it is spoken of alongside the sword cultures of other prominent daimyo families such as the Maeda, Date, and the Gosanke branches of the Tokugawa. It stands as a representative example of samurai-family sword culture preserved in a single regional domain, Yonezawa.
Caractéristiques de cette époque
- Both of Kenshin's favored blades (tachi and tanto) designated National Treasures
- Important Cultural Properties and Important Art Objects among the '35 swords hand-selected by Kagekatsu'
- Continuous preservation through Yonezawa domain despite drastic reduction in revenue, until the Meiji Restoration