Umeda Myoju - Umeda Myoju

A metalworker of the Kyoto Uetada school who was active from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early Edo period. The Uetada family tree states that he was the son of Myokin and the 25th generation grandson of Sanjo Munechika, but there is no credibility to this claim. Commonly known as Hikojiro, he was originally called Shigekichi or Munekichi, and later called himself Myoju. He made swords and is known as the founder of shinto (the name for swords since the Keicho era), but swordmaking was more of a hobby and he is thought to have focused on carving sword blades with Fudoson and Tamaoiryu (tama-oiryu), among other things. It is likely that his role as a pioneer who changed the focus from practical swords to aesthetic ones earned him the honorific title of founder of shinto. Existing tsuba (guard) pieces are made from various metals such as plain copper, red copper, brass, and iron, and are inlaid with colored metals such as gold, silver, red copper, and plain copper, creating bold Momoyama-style designs with motifs such as grapes, loquats, nine-year-old mothers, and pine and bamboo. There are also some with openwork carvings and gold inlays of thunder patterns on the iron base. They are also engaged in the making of mountings and habaki, and the polishing of swords.

[Nobuo Ogasawara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

安土(あづち)桃山時代から江戸時代初期に活躍した京埋忠派の金工。明欽(みょうきん)の子で三条宗近(むねちか)25世の孫と埋忠系図はいうが、もとより信憑(しんぴょう)性はない。通称を彦次郎、初め重吉または宗吉といい、のち明寿と号した。刀剣を製作して新刀（慶長(けいちょう)以来の刀剣の呼称）の祖と称されているが、刀剣製作は余技的なもので、不動尊、玉追龍などの刀身彫に力を注いだものとみられる。このように実用本位の刀剣から鑑賞的なものへと意識を変えた先覚者としての役割が、新刀の祖という敬称を与えたものであろう。現存する鐔(つば)の作品は、素銅、赤銅、真鍮(しんちゅう)、鉄などさまざまな地金を用いて、それに金、銀、赤銅、素銅などの色がねを象眼(ぞうがん)して、桃山風の大胆な構図で葡萄(ぶどう)文、枇杷(びわ)文、九年母(くねんぼ)文、松竹文などの文様を表している。また鉄地には透彫りをして雷(いかずち)文などの金象眼を施したものがある。そのほか、拵(こしらえ)、鎺(はばき)の製作、刀剣の磨(すり)上げなどの仕事に従事している。

［小笠原信夫］

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