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© Copyright Robert Cole 2015 - No copying or distributing 
BIZEN
MOTOSHIGE Group MOTOSHIGE        "The Three Students" SANTETSU of SADAMUNE
________________ HATAKEDA MORIIYE(2)             three brothers              |____________ ___________________ _____________|____     ___|____      _________|___ HATAKEDA MORISHIGE     MOTOZANE      Old MOTOSHIGE(1) KA-GEN 1303              |         BUN-PO 1317        ____|___              |                            MOTOHISA EN-BUN 1356              |__________________________      __________|____    -brothers-    ____|____    BIZEN MOTOSHIGE(2) KEM-MU 1334   SHIGEZANE(1) KEM-MU 1334              |                      ____|____              |                      SHIGEZANE(2) KAN-O 1350     _________|______________________ _______________________ ___|____  ___|___                ___|____                ___|____ MOTOYUKI  MOTOIYE SHI-TOKU 1384  MOTOYASU EI-TOKU 1381   MOTOMASA SHI-TOKU  ___|___                ___|_____             EI-WA 1375     1384  MOTOIYE SHO-CHO 1428   YASUTOSHI            ___|___                O-EI 1394           MOTOIYE MEI-O 1492 HATAKEDA MORISHIGE EI-NIN: Son-in-law of NAGAMITSU. Brother of         Old MOTOSHIGE and father of BIZEN MOTOSHIGE.             See HATAKEDA. MOTOSHIGE(1) KA-GEN (f: MORIIYE, br: MORISHIGE): "Old MOTOSHIGE."         Worked to GEN-TOKU 1329. His dates have been surmised. He         is thought the teacher of BIZEN MOTOSHIGE. His work has          been compared to BITCHU AOE style. Made KO-KISSAKI narrow         TACHI and wide with elongated KISSAKI. Dark KO-ITAME HADA         has JI-NIE. NIOI KO-GUNOME with ASHI where ASHI may          become SAKA, or leaning. An ASAKI-NOTARE undulation          shuffles KO-NIE KO-GUNOME HA. BOSHI: SUGUHA to KO-MARU or         TOGARI head. Large two-character MEI. The MOTO character         has the right shoulder raised.      MOTOSHIGE
  MOTOHISA EN-BUN (f: MOTOSHIGE): MOTOSHIGE from TEI-JI 1362 is          said the son of Old MOTOSHIGE. There are several close             dates. SUGUHA.      MOTOHISA      BIZEN OSAFUNE MOTOHISA MOTOZANE BUN-PO (br: Old MOTOSHIGE): BISHU OSAFUNE MOTOZANE





Orikaeshi-Mei Motoshige

Orikaeshi-Mei Motoshige
Nagasa: 72.9cm
Sori: 2.2cm
Moto-haba: 3cm
Saki-haba: 1.95cm
Kissaki-naga: 2.85cm
Nakago: 19.1cm


Shinogi-tsukuri, Ihori-mune, wide, Koshizori Tachi with Thick Kasane and Chu-Kissaki.
Standing Itame/Mokume mix with Ji-Nie, Chikei and strongly standing Midare-Utsuri.
Asaki-Notare pulls to Suguha in the Monouchi and Koshimoto. Gunome and Ko-Gunome are pushed and pulled by Saka Ko-Ashi and Togari in a Ko-Midare, uneven mix. Nie and Nioi is Fukashi, Yo dots while Sunagashi and Kinsuji cut Niju through figures. Yubashiri pulls small Hotsure here and there.
Boshi is Hoso-Sugu to Yakizume.
Orikaeshi-Mei, folded signature:

    Bishu Osafune Motoshige


BIZEN MOTOSHIGE School
"The Three Students" SANTETSU
MOTOSHIGE KEM-MU (f: MORISHIGE, br: SHIGEZANE): OKURAnoSUKE. 
        known as one of SOSHU SADAMUNE's three students, KYO 
        NOBUKUNI, HOJOJI KUNIMITSU and BIZEN MOTOSHIGE. Some deny
        this, sighting his SAKA HAMON figures to evoke BITCHU AOE
        style-roots. His time, however, is on the heels of 
        KAGEMITSU, whose SAKA "Stooped shoulders" GUNOME HA HAMON
        pattern is the probable scene-setter. Also, his 50 year 
        career, from SHO-WA 1312 period to TEI-JI 1362, and the 
        fact that early MEI are signed large, has created the 
        conjecture of two generations. The first from SHO-WA to 
        KAN-O 1350, the second from KAN-O to TEI-JI. Of course, 
        there is no overlap and it is rare for such sharp 
        division of succeeding careers. Changes in style and 
        signature within a 50 year period are quite natural. His
        work period strides the transition to the NAMBOKUCHO, 
        both late-KAMAKURA with the larger, wide thrown KANJI and
        NAMBOKUCHO style with smaller, more tightly organized MEI
        are expected. 
        Early will seem like KAGEMITSU SAKA-style KATAOCHI 
        "Stooped shoulders" GUNOME-MIDARE and KO-GUNOME HA with
        SAKA-ASHI. Later: Standing MOKUME HADA showing CHIKEI and
        strong UTSURI. SOSHU-style JI-BA is a mark. HIRO-SUGU 
        width NIE and NIOI-DEKI GUNOME-MIDARE with SAKA-ASHI and
        YO. BOSHI is a gently waving ASAKI-MIDARE BA or NOTARE to
        MARU or TOGARI head with NIE HAKIKAKE. 
     MOTOSHIGE
     BISHU OSAFUNE MOTOSHIGE
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU MOTOSHIGE
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU MOTOSHIGE SAKU
Tokubetsu Juyo Motoshige

SHIGEZANE(1) KEM-MU (br: BIZEN MOTOSHIGE, t: KAGEMITSU): JIROBE.
        Father was SABEInoJO MORISHIGE. The SHIGEZANE years run
        from KA-REKI 1326 to EN-BUN 1356. A 35 year career being
        long and a distinct difference in style following KAN-O
        1350 find two generations hypothesized in modern texts. 
        1st: KA-REKI 1326 to RYAKU-O 1338. Swords resemble 
        MOTOSHIGE style. Narrow and thick, late-KAMAKURA graceful
        TACHI. Standing ITAME HADA has MIDARE-UTSURI. Expect 
        KATAOCHI "Stooped-shoulders" GUNOME HA. KO-MIDARE, 
        GUNOME-CHOJI KO-MIDARE BA with ASHI-IRI.
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU SHIGEZANE
     BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE SHIGEZANE
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU SABEInoJO SHIGEZANE
     BIZEN-no-KUNI OSAFUNE JU SHIGEZANE

SHIGEZANE(2) KAN-O: Later work is NAMBOKUCHO wide and thin TACHI
        SUGATA. Standing ITAME HADA. HIRO-width GUNOME with ASHI,
        perhaps CHOJI-ASHI with YO. CHOJI-MIDARE - look for 
        SAKA-ASHI, a noted definer.
     BISHU OSAFUNE JU SHIGEZANE






Orikaeshi-Mei Motoshige  - Juyo Bunkazai

Orikaeshi-Mei Motoshige
Nagasa: 2 Shaku 3 Sun 1 Bu (70cm)
Sori: 4 Bu 6 Rin (1.4cm)
Motohaba: 9 Bu 4 Rin (2.8cm)
Sakihaba: 6 Bu 6 Rin (1.7cm)
Sakinagasa: 1 Sun 2 Rin (3.1cm)
Moto-kasane: 2 Bu 1 Rin (0.65cm)
Saki-kasane: 1 Bu 6 Rin (0.5cm)
Nakago: 6 Sun 5 Bu 8 (19.7cm)


Shinogi-tsukuri, Ihori-mune, Chu-Kissaki with shallow Sori.
Ko-Itame Hada has standing Midare-Utsuri.
Chu-width Ko-Choji Ko-Gunome Midare in tight Nioi with Nezumi-Ashi and Yo.
Chu-sugu Saagari Ko-Maru Boshi. Even, medium Kaeri.

Two-Mekugi-ana Orikaeshi-Mei, Fold-over signature.
Bizen-no-Kuni Osafune Ju Motoshige
Mikaeri


BIZEN MOTOSHIGE School
MOTOIYE SHI-TOKU (f: MOTOSHIGE): Some say son of Old MOTOSHIGE.
        MOKUME HADA. SUGUHA and GUNOME HA. Also found in SHO-CHO
        1428 and MEI-O 1492.
     BISHU OSAFUNE MOTOIYE
     BIZEN-no-KUNI JU MOTOIYE

MOTOYASU EI-TOKU (t: MOTOSHIGE): MOKUME. GUNOME-CHOJI BA.
     BIZEN OSAFUNE MOTOYASU

YASUTOSHI O-EI (f: MOTOHISA, t: MOTOYASU): MOKUME. GUNOME-CHOJI.
     BISHU OSAFUNE YASUTOSHI

MOTOYUKI SHI-TOKU (f: MOTOSHIGE: Said the son of Old MOTOSHIGE,
        but that may be stretching it. GUNOME-MIDARE HA.
     BISHU OSAFUNE MOTOYUKI 





Motoshige Dambira - Juyo Bunkazai

Motoshige Dambira
Nagasa: 1 Shaku 4 Sun 5 Rin (42.57cm)
Sori: 1 Bu 5 Rin (0.45cm)
Motohaba: 1 Sun 5 Rin (3.18cm)
Sakihaba: 8 Bu 6 Rin (2.61cm)
Moto-kasane: 2 Bu (0.61cm)
Nakago: 3 Sun 7 Bu 8 (11.36cm)


Hira-tsukuri, Mitsu-mune Dambira with shallow curve, Namboku style.
Hori: Suken both sides, Aizen Myo-O Bonji on Omote
Strongly standing Itame with Mokume Hada has JiNie and strongly arcing Chikei.
An easy flowing Notare holds Ko-Gunome Midare Ba that Sunagashi and Kinsuji break apart into Nie and Nioi Nijuba.
Midare-Komi Tsuki-age Boshi.
Ubu nakago has two Mekugi-ana. Signed in the middle:

      Bishu Osafune Motoshige


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