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BIZEN
ICHIMONJI MUNEYOSHI School




________
MUNEKUNI HO-GEN 1156
 |__________________________________________
_|_______      - brothers -     ____________|____
MUNEYOSHI SHO-GEN GOBAN 1207    KO-BIZEN NOBUFUSA GEN-RYAKU 1184
 |_________________ ____________________________________________
_|_____         ___|____                                        |
MUNEIYE         MUNETADA KEN-RYAKU 1211                         |
 | TEI-O 1222   ___|____                                        |
 |              SADAZANE TEM-PUKU 1233                          |
 |                 |___________ ____________                    |
 |              ___|_____   ___|____     ___|____               |
 |              YOSHIZANE   YASUSADA     SANESADA               |
 |              HO-JI 1247  BUN-EI 1264  KA-GEN 1303            |
 |___________________________ _____________ ___________         |
_|_______                ____|____      ___|___        |        |
YOSHIMUNE SHO-KYU 1219   YOSHIHIRA      IYENOBU        |        |
_|_______                TEM-PUKU 1233  NIN-JI 1240    |        |
YOSHIMORI KO-AN 1278                         __________|        |
                                        ____|____  ____|____    |
                                        YOSHIKAGE  YOSHITOMO    |
                                          - BUN-O 1260 -        |
    ___________________ ____________________ ___________________|
___|____            ___|____             ___|____               | 
MUNENAGA            SANEYUKI             YOSHIIYE SHO-KYU 1219  | 
   | TEI-O 1222     BUN-O 1260    __________|                   | 
   |                          ___|_____  ___|_____              |
   |                          YOSHITOMO  YOSHIHIRA KAN-GEN 1243 |
   |________________________  BUN-O 1260 ___|_____              |
___|____                 ___|____        YOSHIMORI SHO-GEN 1259 | 
NAGAMOTO(1) BUN-O 1260   MUNETADA                               |
___|____                 SHO-GEN 1259                           |
NAGAMOTO(2) KEN-GEN 1302                                        |
    __________________________ _________________________________|
___|____                  ____|____                  
NAGANORI(1) KO-AN 1278    YOSHIMUNE(1) SHO-GEN 1259  
   | YOSHII Founders          |________________________
   |                      ____|____                 ___|_____   
   |                      YOSHIMUNE(2) O-CHO 1311   YOSHINAGA     
   |________________ ________________________       TEM-PUKU 1233
___|____         ___|____                 ___|____
NAGANORI(2)      NAGAKANE(1) BUN-O 1260   SUYENORI 
BUN-PO 1317      ___|____                 GEN-KYO 1321
See YOSHII       NAGAKANE(2) SHO-O 1288       
                                           
                                           
MUNEYOSHI SHO-GEN (f: MUNEKUNI, br: NOBUFUSA): His father-in-law
        was NORIMUNE. SHO-GEN GOBAN - 7th month. SAKON SHOGEN.
        SHINTARO and SAKON TARO. FUKUOKA JU. Made SAKURA MARU. 
        ITAME HADA with MIDARE-UTSURI. NIE and NIOI-DEKI CHOJI of
        ASHI has KINSUJI. MIDARE BOSHI. Signed with two and three
        characters, MUNEYOSHI and MUNEYOSHI SAKU, in thick or 
        thin strokes near the MUNE.
     MUNEYOSHI

YOSHIMUNE(1) SHO-GEN (f: MUNEYOSHI): SAEMONnoSUKE. mid-KAMAKURA,         wide TACHI with IKUBI-KISSAKI. Strong MIDARE-UTSURI veils         the JI over standing ITAME. NIOI CHOJI-MIDARE BA extends         to a MIDARE BOSHI that resolves in YAKIZUME. KIJI-MOMO          NAKAGO finds his two-character MEI centered on the          SHINOGI above the ANA. YOSHINAGA TEM-PUKU (f: YOSHIMUNE): Standing HADA with MIDARE-         UTSURI. NIOI CHOJI-MIDARE BA. SANEYUKI BUN-O (t: MUNEYOSHI): ICHIMONJI style CHOJI-MIDARE BA. MUNETADA KEN-RYAKU (f: MUNEYOSHI): Narrow, KO-KISSAKI TACHI.         ITAME HADA. KO-NIE JI-BA dapples above KO-MIDARE of          KO-CHOJI BA.
Ichimonji Muneyoshi - 69.9cm
Goto Museum

FUKUOKA ICHIMONJI - MUNEYOSHI School
SADAZANE TEM-PUKU (f: MUNETADA): To BUN-EI 1264. This name is
        listed as son of KO-BIZEN TAKATSUNA and has caused 
        confusion. TAKATSUNA's dates vary as well. SADAZANE in 
        mid-KAMAKURA wide SUGATA with the ICHIMONJI style YAKIBA
        will be ascribed to FUKUOKA, and although MUNETADA made 
        KO-BIZEN style, the consideration must weigh ICHIMONJI 
        and KO-BIZEN. It is complicated by SADAZANE's tendency 
        for his father's KO-BIZEN style. JI-NIE tries to form 
        NIE JI-BA on ITAME HADA. KO-MIDARE of KO-CHOJI BA. 
 Tokubetsu Juyo Sadazane 

YOSHIZANE HO-JI (f: SADAZANE): ITAME. KO-MIDARE of KO-CHOJI BA.

YASUSADA BUN-EI (f: SADAZANE): ITAME HADA. CHOJI-MIDARE BA.

SANESADA BUN-EI (f: SADAZANE): First MEI: SADAYOSHI. CHOJI-MIDARE.

YOSHIIYE SHO-KYU (f: MUNEYOSHI): Gift swords with this signature
        have been attributed to AWATAGUCHI YOSHIIYE of KAN-KO 
        1004. A YOSHIIYE MEI should bring these questions: Is 
        this piece HEIAN or GEN-RYAKU? Is the piece BIZEN? Thinly
        veiled JI-NIE wets the surface. ITAME HADA. CHU width 
        NIOI KO-CHOJI upper allows searching KO-ASHI to sculpt
        defined figures. Occasional KAWAZU, raised fist or 
        DAI-BO demand precedence in the mid and lower where 
        KINSUJI begins to run. Free standing figures in the lower
        is the YOSHIIYE mark. NIE JI-BA may run NIJU through a 
        MIDARE BOSHI. Look for ICHI KAERI, - falling 
        perpendicular on to the MUNE.

YOSHIHIRA KEN-CHO (f: YOSHIIYE): Wide IKUBI-KISSAKI, FUNBARI
        TACHI SUGATA. Standing MIDARE-UTSURI graces a strong 
        JI-HADA. Small patterned NIOI CHOJI-MIDARE BA in YOSHIIYE
        or YOSHIFUSA style or more dynamic JUKA-CHOJI with 
        KOSHIBA. Possibly 16 petal KIKU-MON or small two-
        character MEI.



Ichimonji Yoshihira

Goto Museum
Ichimonji Yoshihira
Nagasa: 72.2cm

Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, wide, Funbari Koshizori Tachi with Ikubi-Kissaki.
O-Itame Hada with JiNie holds Midare-Utsuri.
An Asaki-Notare of Choji and Saka-Choji Midare is interrupted with a few tall stands. Sunagashi and Kinsuji strike through figures. Height lssens to some degree in the Monouchi.
Midare of Ko-Choji in the Boshi.
Machi-Okuri Mumei Nakago has two Mekugi-ana.


FUKUOKA ICHIMONJI - MUNEYOSHI School
YOSHIMORI SHO-GEN (f: YOSHIHIRA): NIOI CHOJI-MIDARE has large
        KOSHIBA in the lower.

MUNEIYE TEI-O (f: MUNEYOSHI): FUKUOKA JU. ITAME veiled in JI-NIE.
        CHOJI-MIDARE BA - O-CHOJI MIDARE with YO.

YOSHIMUNE SHO-KYU (f: MUNEIYE): FUKUOKA JU. Work to SHO-GEN 1259.
        ITAME, O-MOKUME mix. KO-CHOJI MIDARE.

YOSHIMORO KO-AN (f: YOSHIMUNE): MOKUME with MASAME. KO-CHOJI
        MIDARE to O-MIDARE O-CHOJI BA.

YOSHIHIRA TEM-PUKU (f: MUNEIYE): O-MOKUME HADA. NIE O-CHOJI 
        MIDARE and Flower petal CHOJI-MIDARE BA.

IYENOBU NIN-JI (f: MUNEIYE): MOKUME. NIOI CHOJI-MIDARE BA.

YOSHITOMO BUN-O (f: MUNEIYE): FUKUOKA JU. Also signed SUKETOMO.
        ITAME HADA. KO-CHOJI MIDARE BA.

IYESUKE BUN-EI (f: MUNEIYE): ITAME. GUNOME and KO-CHOJI MIDARE.

NAGAMOTO(1) BUN-O (f: MUNENAGA): FUKUOKA JU. ITAME. SUGUHA with
        ASHI and CHOJI-MIDARE BA of NIE.

MUNETADA SHO-GEN (f: MUNENAGA): To SHO-GEN 1259. ITAME HADA.
        CHOJI-MIDARE.

NAGANORI(1) KO-AN (f: MUNEYOSHI): YOSHII Founders. SABEInoJO.
        From KO-AN 1278 to SHO-AN 1299. NAGA form: CHO "Long."
        MOKUME HADA. CHOJI KO-MIDARE BA. See YOSHII School
    MEI: BIZEN-no-KUNI JUNIN NAGANORI
         BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JU SABEInoJO NAGANORI
         BIZEN-no-KUNI FUKUOKA JU SABEInoJO NAGANORI TSUKURU
         BIZEN-no-KUNI FUKUOKA JUNIN SABEInoJO NAGANORI TSUKURU
 Tokubetsu Juyo Naganori 

NAGAKANE(1) BUN-O (f: NAGANORI): FUKUOKA JU. NORIMUNE School.
        ITAME HADA. CHOJI-MIDARE BA.
    MEI: BIZEN FUKUOKA NAGAKANE

SUYENORI GEN-KYO (t: NAGANORI): Narrow TACHI SUGATA. YAKIBA is
        KO-CHOJI with ASHI-IRI. This is a FUKUOKA smith with an
        OSAFUNE influence. His HAMON has been compared to 
        SANENAGA's, which is a CHU-width, evenly flowing SUGU 
        with falling ASHI defining KO-CHOJI BA. 
    MEI: SUYENORI
         BIZEN-no-KUNI FUKUOKA JU SUYENORI SAKU 




Yoshimune - Kokuho

Yoshimune - Kokuho
Nagasa: 71.2cm
Moto-Haba: 3cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, elongated Ko-Kissaki.
Itame Mokume mix has Ji-Nie and standing Midare-Utsuri.
Juka Choji-Midare Ba with Ashi and Yo in Nioi and Ko-Nie Fukashi.
Asaku Midare-Komi Boshi with Hakikake.
Suriage Nakago has three Mekugi-ana.
    Yoshimune



Fukuoka Naganori - Kokuho

Fukuoka Naganori - Kokuho
Nagasa: 75cm
Moto-Haba: 2.8cm


Shinogi-Tsukuri, Ihori-Mune, strong Niku, Koshizori with Ikubi-Kissaki.
Ko-Itame Hada has Ji-Nie and Midare-Utsuri.
Chu-width Nioi-Deki Ko-Choji-Midare Ba with Ko-Ashi iri.
Asaki-Notare Boshi to Yakizume.
Suriage Nakago has two Mekugi-ana, one Tachi-mount key-way type.
    Bizen-no-Kuni Fukuoka Ju Sabe-no-Jo Naganori
   Kagen x Nen x Gatsu Hi



Sho-shin
Glossary