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OEI BIZEN
YASUMITSU "The Three MITSUs"




YASUMITSU comes from KOZORI roots - the line falling from 
KAGEHIDE, a MITSUTADA brother and OSAFUNE original. MORIMITSU(1)
mostly signed with two characters and this trait has been noted
for YASUMITSU as well. However, if one were to casually acquire 
a YASUMITSU, one would ardently pursue reference - an eye to 
style.

     _________________  
     KOZORI SHIGEYOSHI(3) TEI-JI 1362            The Three MITSUs
                |___________________________
  ______________|____    - brothers -    ___|____
  UEMONnoJO YASUMITSU(1) O-EI 1394       YASUSADA O-EI 1394
                |________________________ ________ _________    
________________|____                 ___|____ ___|____  ___|___
SAKYOnoSUKE YASUMITSU(2) EI-KYO 1429  YASUNAGA YUKIKAGE  YASUIYE
            ____|____                   -EI-KYO 1429-   O-EI 1394
            YASUMITSU(3) BUN-AN 1444
            ____|____
            YASUMITSU(4) EI-SHO 1504

"The Three MITSUs"
YASUMITSU(1) O-EI (f: KOZORI SHIGEYOSHI): UEMONnoJO. From O-EI 
        13. His SUGATA will appear balanced and proportionally 
        correct.

             - CHU-KISSAKI, KOSHIZORI O-EI-style TACHI 
             - HIRA-TSUKURI, 1 SHAKU 3 to 5 SUN WAKIZASHI
             - SHINOGI-TSUKURI, 1 SHAKU 6 to 8 SUN WAKIZASHI
             - Elongated, MU-SORI TANTO - may seem NAMBOKU-like

        KO-MOKUME HADA veiled in JI-NIE and the OEI mark of 
        strong BO-UTSURI dancing and alighting through the JI. 
        NIOI-DEKI KOSHI-HIRAKI GUNOME-CHOJI BA shows a TOGARI 
        theme on a comparatively even running HAMON. The NIOI of
        some TOGARI may seem to reach for the UTSURI dance. There
        will be less YO and ASHI than MORIMITSU, and perhaps more
        TOBI and TAMA. BOSHI is en suite with the YAKIBA, and 
        somewhat low (meaning deep YAKIBA). It is taught that 
        YASUMITSU YAKIBA will be shallow in the lower becoming 
        deeper and with greater dynamic expansion in the upper, 
        but this is certainly not necessarily discernible. Early
        YASUMITSU, expect a strong CHU or HIRO width line - later
        the HAMON is MUROMACHI shallow. Fairly deep falling 
        turnback hugs the MUNE and then abruptly turns. Later 
        YASUMITSU: expect a short KAERI. YASUMITSU's KURI-JIRI, 
        BIZEN NAKAGO seem curved. Some taper. A few earlier 
        pieces will be signed with his two-character MEI and are
        deemed the earlier YASUMITSU as some late O-EI dates are
        seen as chronologically possible for the 2nd. Compare 
        style and work. See MORIMITSU, foregoing.
     YASUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE YASUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU UEMONnoJO YASUMITSU

OEI BIZEN - SUNNOBI YASUMITSU  "The Three MITSUs"
JUYO-TOKEN YASUMITSU
        NAGASA: 1 SHAKU 4.8 SUN              MOTO-HABA: 9.6 BU
          SORI: 2 BU                       MOTO-KASANE: 2 BU
        NAKAGO: 3.5 SUN

        SUNNOBI-TSUKURI, IHORI-MUNE, slightly curved, WAKIZASHI-
        length O-TANTO. A deeply cut SU-KEN rises from the lower
        pointing to a BONJI carved in the middle of the OMOTE. 
        BO-HI ni SOE-BI walks the URA. 
Standing ITAME-MOKUME mix finds BO-UTSURI hovering
through the JI.
KOSHI-HIRAKI GUNOME, KO-CHOJI TOGARI mix tends to
widen gently in the lower where a few TAMA and TOBI
dot the line.
Two MEKUGI-ANA stand along both HI that extend though
the UBU-NAKAGO. 
    OMOTE: BISHU OSAFUNE YASUMITSU
      URA: O-EI JU SHICHI NEN GATSU HI (1410)

OEI BIZEN - YASUMITSU
YASUMITSU(2) EI-KYO (f: YASUMITSU 1): SAKYOnoSUKE. Received NAGAI
        family name as title. Shallow curved, SHINOGI-TSUKURI, 
        IHORI-MUNE TACHI and elongated SAKI, HIRA-TSUKURI 
        O-TANTO. Often with BO-HI and small neighboring grooves.
        His steel is a particularly moist, standing ITAME with 
        JI-NIE. The tightly defined KO-NIE will draw a serene and
        noticeably tranquil SUGUHA with gaps and KO-ASHI. SUGUHA 
        BOSHI with KO-MARU and short KAERI.
     YASUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE YASUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE SAKYO-no-SUKE YASUMITSU
     BISHU OSAFUNE NAGA-I SAKYO-no-SUKE YASUMITSU

YASUMITSU(3) BUN-AN: From BUN-AN 1444 to MEI-O 1492.
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU YASUMITSU

YASUMITSU(4) EI-SHO: BISHU OSAFUNE YASUMITSU

YASUNAGA EI-KYO (f: UEMONnoJO YASUMITSU): MOKUME HADA. NIOI-DEKI
        KO-MIDARE BA and GUNOME-CHOJI MIDARE BA in the style of 
        his father. Possibly also signed YASUHISA.
     YASUNAGA
     BISHU OSAFUNE YASUNAGA

YASUIYE O-EI (t: YASUMITSU): SUGUHA and GUNOME-CHOJI MIDARE BA.
        YASUIYE also in BUN-PO 1317, KAN-O 1350 and EI-WA 1375.
     BISHU OSAFUNE YASUIYE

YUKIKAGE O-EI (f: INSHU YUKIKAGE): YUKI form: KO "Good Fortune."
        HYOEnoJO. Transferred from INABA in KA-KEI 1387. Either
        he, his son or another YUKIKAGE studies with YASUMITSU, 
        see EI-KYO YUKIKAGE below. GUNOME KO-MIDARE resembles 
        OMIYA MOROKAGE. See INABA
     BISHU OSAFUNE YUKIKAGE

YUKIKAGE(2) EI-KYO (t: YASUMITSU): YUKI: KO "Good fortune." This
        mans' father is proposed as being INABA YUKIKAGE (YUKI 
        form: KO "Crossroads"), which then potentials KA-KEI to
        O-EI HYOEnoJO YUKIKAGE as making these blades some 45 
        years later. Another source puts four generations in 
        BIZEN. So there are unknowns. Weigh style: is it pre-
        O-EI, YASUMITSU influenced, or post-O-EI? Expect MOKUME
        HADA and the GUNOME-CHOJI BA of YASUMITSU from the EI-KYO
        smith. Note: O-EI - BO-UTSURI. See INABA
     YUKIKAGE
     BISHU OSAFUNE YUKIKAGE

YUKIKAGE CHO-ROKU: SHINBEI. MUROMACHI BIZEN style GUNOME-MIDARE
        in NIOI, said to resemble NORIMITSU.
     BISHU OSAFUNE YUKIKAGE
     BISHU OSAFUNE SHINBEInoJO YUKIKAGE
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JUNIN FUJIWARA SHINBEInoJO YUKIKAGE SAKU 
 
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