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Overview·Designations·Blade Forms·Signatures·School
OverviewDesignationsBlade FormsSignaturesSchool
  1. Schools
  2. Ko-Bizen
  3. Tomomura

Ko-Bizen Tomomura

友村

Tokujū
Vol. 18, No. 34 · Kodachi

Ko-Bizen Tomomura

友村

2 ranked works

ProvinceBizenEraKenryaku (1211–1213)PeriodKamakuraSchoolKo-BizenTraditionBizen-denFujishiroJo sakuToko Taikan1,500(top 5%)TypeSwordsmithCodeTOM116
1Jūyō Bijutsuhin
1Tokubetsu Jūyō

Overview

Tomomura (友村) was a swordsmith of the tradition, active in the early period. Sword reference works place his working period around the Kenryaku era (1211–1213). Extant signed works are exceedingly rare; the most celebrated is a designated as a Jūyō Bijutsuhin (Important Art Object) held by Yusuhara Hachimangū Shrine in Ōita Prefecture. Beyond this, only a small number of signed examples survive, lending each authenticated work considerable documentary significance for the study of the school.

Tomomura's blades characteristically present a slender, classical with high that becomes slightly shallower toward the tip, often with a suggestion of and a . His forging shows with standing grain, mixed with and ; adheres with , and a distinctive patchy stands out prominently. The is fundamentally , mixed with , , and a -like tendency; and enter well, with deep and dense . A particularly notable feature is the appearance in the upper half of crescent-shaped that continue intermittently along the edge, producing a -like effect and, in places, an impression reminiscent of sanjūba. Near the base, fine and appear.

The consistently characterizes Tomomura's work as strongly evoking an "archaic, old-fashioned flavor" and an "unmistakably archaic charm." His workmanship is noted to be in accord with that of fellow smiths such as Yukihide, Naritaka, and Sukemura, whose works similarly display a effect "comparable to that seen in the celebrated Mikazuki Munechika." Authenticated blades are praised as — sound and well-preserved — in both and , displaying "excellent workmanship" and assessed as "valuable reference material" of great documentary importance for the tradition.

Designations

Kokuhō—
Jūyō Bunkazai—
Jūyō Bijutsuhin1
Gyobutsu—
Tokubetsu Jūyō1
Jūyō Tōken—

Elite Standing

0.00 across 2 designated works

Top 100% among smiths

Blade Forms

Distribution across 2 ranked works

Signatures

Signature types across 2 ranked works

Currently Available

Ko-Bizen School

Other artisans of the Ko-Bizen school

  1. 1.Tomonari友成34designated
  2. 2.Masatsune正恒66designated
  3. 3.Kanehira包平32designated
  4. 4.Kageyasu景安1 for sale27designated
  5. 5.Yoshikane吉包46designated
  6. 6.Nobufusa信房13designated
  7. 7.Naritaka成高9designated
  8. 8.Yukihide行秀16designated
  9. 9.Sukekane助包1 for sale28designated
  10. 10.Motochika基近4designated
  11. 11.Junkei順慶7designated
  12. 12.Tsunemitsu恒光8designated

Tomomura

Tomomura(友村) was a Japanese swordsmith of the Ko-Bizen school in Bizen province, active during the Kenryaku (1211-1213) period.

The work follows the Bizen-den tradition.

Designated works by Tomomura include 1 Tokubetsu Jūyō.