JITSUA

“JITSUA’S” KITE (KEY-TAI, STYLE OF CONSTRUCTION) HARKS TO THE PERIOD OF THE “GENJI – HEIKE” WAR’S (SEE BELOW). HE WORKED IN THE STYLE OF HIS “GREAT GRAND FATHER, GRAND FATHER, AND FATHER ALL OF WHOM HAVE BLADES TO THERE CREDIT THAT ARE IN THE “CULTURAL PROPERTY REALM”. JITSUA, HAS TWO SIGNED TACHI’S  THAT ALSO FALL INTO THIS REALM.

THE “MON” (FAMILY) OF “TAKANAWA” (HIS GREAT GRAND FATHER WHO ALSO SIGNED “TAKATSUNA”) IS A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED LINE, THAT PRODUCED SOME OF THE FINEST “KAJI” (SWORD MAKERS) IN JAPAN. “SA MONJI”, WAS THE MOST FAMOUS, AND LAST OF THE ULTRA SUPERB MAKERS OF THIS GROUP. “SA” WAS A STUDENT OF; FIRST HIS FATHER (“JITSUA”), AND THEN OF “SHOSHU MASAMUNE”. HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF “MASAMUNE’S” LATER, AND FINEST PUPILS. HIS WORKS ARE EXTREMELY RARE.

“JITSUA” ADHERED TO THE STYLE OF HIS MON, FOR THE MOST PART. HIS WORKS ARE OF THE “KOSHIZORI” SHAPE (DEEP CURVE NEAR THE BASE, AND RATHER STRAIGHT FOR THE LAST 30 %, NEARING THE POINT). AYASUGI HADA IS SEEN MORE FREQUENTLY IN HIS WORKS THAN THOSE OF HIS FATHER’S. HIS HAMON’S ARE SPECTACULAR. HIS ABILITY TO PRODUCE “URUMI-GOKORO” NIE, IS TRULY REMARKABLE! THIS TYPE OF NIE IS SO “FINE, AND DELICATE”, THAT IT APPEARS TO BE A “WHITE MARTENSITIC CLOUD” FLOATING ON THE BLADE (THIS IS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH NIOI). THE HAMON IS BRIMMING WITH ACTIVITY SUCH AS; KINSUJI (GOLDEN LINES OF NIE), SUNAGASHI (SWEEPING LINES OF NIE, LIKE DRIFTING SAND), AND INAZUMA ( LINES OF NIE, THAT FLOW IN & OUT OF THE HAMON). HOTSURE (STRAY LINES OF NIE, ALONG THE HAMON). HIS HAMON’S ARE “LUMINOUS”!!!“JITSUA’S” HADA IS STRONG, YET TRANQUIL. IT IS BASICALLY “ITAME”, (NORMAL WOOD GRAIN), MIXED WITH “AYASUGI” (SLIGHTLY CURVED HORIZONTAL LINES WITH ROUNDED HIGHER PEAKS, (THE GASSAN SCHOOL IS FAMOUS FOR THIS STYLE)). THERE IS ALSO SOME “MASAME” (STRAIGHT GRAIN). LIKE THE HAMON, THE HADA IS ALSO BRIMMING WITH ACTIVITY. THERE IS “BRIGHT JI-NIE” (MARTENSITE IN THE HADA), “CHIKEI” ( LINES OF NIE, FLOATING UNDER THE SURFACE), AND WONDERFUL “SHIRAKE UTSURI” (WHITISH, SOMEWHAT CLEAR SHADOW OF THE HAMON). TO MY EYE, THERE ARE NO BLADES THAT CAN COMPARE TO THOSE OF THE “KAMAKURA” PERIOD, AND “JITSUA’S” AMONG THE FINEST!

“KYUSHU”, HOMELAND OF JITSUA, AND THE “GENJI – HEIKE” SEA WAR:FOLLOWING THE GREAT SEA BATTLE, AT “DEN-NO-URA”, WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST SEA BATTLES IN HISTORY. THE “GENJI” (MINAMOTO CLAN) , WITH A COMPLEMENT OF “850” BATTLE SHIPS, AND THE “HEIKE” (TAIRA CLAN), WITH ONLY “500”, FACED OFF IN THE INLAND SEA NEAR KYUSHU, AT DEN-NO-URA, ON APRIL, 24, 1185 AD., THE WEAPONS OF CHOOSE WERE “BOW’S, AND ARROW’S. TO SHORTEN A LONG STORY, THE HEIKE HAD THE ADVANTAGE (EVEN THOUGH GREATLY OUT NUMBERED) AND WERE WINNING, DUE TO THERE SUPERIOR SEAMANSHIP. WHEN A TURNCOAT, HEIKE GENERAL BETRAYED THEM BY DISCLOSING TO THE MINAMOTO (GENJI) WHICH SHIP CARRIED THE YOUNG (7 YEAR OLD) “EMPEROR ANTOKU”. THE GENJI THEN TOOK COMMAND OF THE IMPERIAL SHIP, AND THE BATTLE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY LOST BY THE “TAIRA”.

THE YOUNG (ONLY “7” YEARS OF AGE) DEFEATED EMPEROR “ANTOKU” WAS GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMIT “SEPPUKU” , BY DROWNING. HIS MATERNAL GRAND MOTHER THE  ” LADY Ii ”  (THE SAME FAMILY NAME, AS THE DAIMYO THAT OWNED THIS SWORD), PRAYED WITH THE CHILD, AFTER WHICH THEN LEAPT TO THERE DEATH IN THE SEA! THE REMAINDER OF THE MAIN LINE “HEIKE SAMURAI” FOUGHT TO THE END, AND PERISHED IN THE SEA! ABOUT THIS TIME A “MYSTIC EVENT” IS THOUGHT TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE. A “CRAB” (INDIGENOUS TO THE AREA) TOOK ON BACK MARKINGS THAT LOOK LIKE THE FACE OF A “SAMURAI WARRIOR”. IT IS BELIEVED BY MANY THAT THE SPIRIT’S OF THE DEFEATED HEIKE WARRIORS, ROAM THE SEA, IN THE FORM OF THE “THE HEIKE CRAB” (NAMED AFTER THEM). TO THIS DAY THE “HEIKE CRAB”  IS NOT EATEN , AND IS TOSSED BACK INTO THE SEA WHEN CAUGHT. THESE EVENTS ARE, COMMEMORATED TO THIS DAY ON, APRIL 24 th. OF EVERY YEAR. MANY OF THE TAIRA TOOK REFUGE ON “KYUSHU”, BRINGING WITH THEM THE CULTURE OF THE MAINLAND. THE “GENJI – HEIKE” WAR WAS INSTRUMENTAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BLADES OF THE “KYUSHU KAJI” (SWORD MAKERS). THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING SWORDS, WE HAVE EVER HAD!

AN “IMPORTANT” WORK OF ART. THIS SA-ME (UNDER SKIN, OF THE STING RAY FISH) SAYA IS BY FARE ONE OF THE MOST EXCEPTIONALLY FINE EXAMPLES, I HAVE EVER SEEN. WHEN AN IMPORTANT WORK (MOST COMMONLY, CERAMIC’S, METAL WORKS, AND IVORY) IS REPAIRED (NOT RESTORED) IN THE ORIENT, IT IS EFFECTED WITH THE USE OF “22K ~ 23K” GOLD, FINELY GROUND, AND MIXED WITH LACQUER. THIS IS DONE TO BOTH PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF THE PIECE, AND AS A TESTIMONIAL TO IT’S GREAT IMPORTANCE. I HAVE,  AN EARLY KOTO ( PRIOR TO, O-EI PERIOD 1394 ) PERIOD,  CELADON PORCELAIN THAT IS REPAIRED IN THE SAME MANNER ( WITH GOLD ).

Click link to view a matchlock rifle with connection to the “Ii Daimyo family”