Yamatomono - Yamatomono

A general term for swords made in Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture). Along with Yamashiro and Mino, Yamato developed a unique style of sword making known as the Yamato tradition. Yamato blacksmiths must have existed from the Asuka and Nara periods, when the capital was located, but all of the surviving inscribed swords date to the late Kamakura period. However, Amakuni, who lived around Daido (806-810) and is said to be the father of Japanese blacksmithing, was a resident of Uda County in Yamato Province and was probably one of the government blacksmiths of the time. Books record the names of other legendary swordsmiths, but no credible swords have been found.

The works of Yamato blacksmiths became clear after the five schools known as the Yamato Five Schools emerged: Senjuin, Tegai, Shikake, Taima, and Hosho. Of these, Senjuin is the oldest, and the Meikan lists two lineages, founded by Yukinobu from the Chosho era (1132-35) and Shigehiro from the Nin'an era (1166-69) in the late Heian period, but there are swords that are thought to date from the early Kamakura period, including some that are inscribed simply with "Senjuin." The Tegai school was a school that lived on the outskirts of Todaiji Temple's Tegai Gate, and is said to have been a group of swordsmiths subordinate to Todaiji Temple. The Meikan lists Kanenaga from the Shoo era (1288-93) as its founder, but since Todaiji blacksmiths have works from the early Kamakura period such as "Todaiji Nobuie," there is room for further research into the lineage. However, it is noteworthy that Mino blacksmiths arose from this school, and have a deep connection with Kasuga Shrine. The Shirikake school's de facto founder is Norinaga, who was roughly the same age as Kanenaga, but his place of residence is unknown. However, Noami's Honmei-zukushi states that "he was a Nara blacksmith." In addition to the three schools of Nara mentioned above, the Taima school was founded by Kuniyuki in the mid-Kamakura period and continued around Taima-dera Temple until the Nanboku-cho period, while the Hosho school, characterized by straight grain forging by Sadakichi and Sadamune, lived in Takaichi County in southern Yamato and flourished from the end of the Kamakura period to the Nanboku-cho period. In the Muromachi period, only the Nakatekai school of the five schools remained, and swords from this period are called Mi-tekai. The Kanabō school flourished in the late Muromachi period, but disappeared by the time of the Shinto period.

The style of Yamatomono is generally characterized by a straight grain forging and a blade pattern with irregularities in the blade based on a straight edge.

[Nobuo Ogasawara]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大和国（奈良県）で制作された刀剣の総称。山城(やましろ)、美濃(みの)などとともに、大和伝といわれる独自の作風を展開した。大和鍛冶(かじ)は都が置かれた飛鳥(あすか)・奈良時代から当然存在したはずであるが、現存する有銘太刀(たち)はいずれも鎌倉後期のものである。しかし、日本の鍛冶の祖といわれる大同(だいどう)（806～810）ごろの天国(あまくに)は、大和国宇陀(うだ)郡の住人でおそらく当時の官営鍛冶の一人と思われる。書物ではそのほか伝説的な刀工名を記しているが、信憑(しんぴょう)性のある作刀はみられない。

　大和鍛冶の作が明確になるのは、大和五派といわれる千手院(せんじゅいん)派、手掻(てがい)派、尻懸(しっかけ)派、当麻(たいま)派、保昌(ほうしょう)派の5流派がおこってからである。このうち千手院派がもっとも古く、銘鑑には平安後期、長承(ちょうしょう)年間（1132～35）の行信(ゆきのぶ)、仁安(にんあん)年間（1166～69）の重弘(しげひろ)を祖とする2流の系図がみえているが、鎌倉前期とみられる太刀があり、なかには「千手院」とのみ銘した作品もある。手掻派は東大寺転害(てがい)門の外辺に住した一派で、東大寺に隷属した刀工団といわれる。銘鑑には正応(しょうおう)年間（1288～93）の包永(かねなが)を祖とするとあるが、東大寺鍛冶には「東大寺延家(のぶいえ)」など鎌倉初期を下らぬ作品もあるところから、系譜はなお研究の余地がある。しかしこの派から美濃鍛冶がおこり、春日(かすが)社と関係が深いことが注目される。尻懸派は包永とほぼ同時代の則長(のりなが)を事実上の祖とするが、その居住地は不明。ただし、能阿弥(のうあみ)本銘尽には「奈良鍛冶なり」とある。以上の奈良三派のほか、当麻派は鎌倉中期の国行を祖として當麻寺周辺に南北朝時代まで続き、貞吉(さだよし)・貞宗(さだむね)など柾目(まさめ)鍛えを特色とする保昌派は南大和の高市郡に居住し、鎌倉末より南北朝期にかけて栄えた。室町期に入ると5派中手掻派だけが残り、この期のものを未手掻と称している。室町末期には金房(かなぼう)一派が栄えるが、新刀期には消えている。

　大和物の作風は一般的には地が柾目鍛えで、刃文は直刃(すぐは)を基調とする沸(にえ)づいた乱れであることなどが特色である。

［小笠原信夫］

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