[ Feature ]
Form : Shinogi-zukuri. Iori-mune. Mihaba is wide. Kasane is rather thick. Shallow sori attached. Chu-kissaki form.
Nakago : Ubu. Yasurime are suji-kai. Saki is iri-yama-gata. One hole.
Jigane : Ko-itame-hada well grained. Jinie attached. Chikei appeared.
Hamon : Yakidashi begins running in sugu. In shallow notare patterns, gunome mixed. Ashi appeared frequently. Ko-nie attached. Sunagashi appeared. Its niokikuchi is clear.
Boushi : It runs in shallow notare. It turns in ko-maru form. Saki has haki-kake form.
[ Highlight ] The Mishina school was led by Kanemichi, who emigrated from Mino to Kyoto, and from the Momoyama period to the Edo period, the four brothers - Iga no kami Kinmichi, Izumi no kami Kinmichi, Tanba-no-kami Yoshimichi and Etchu no Kami Masatoshi - were skilled practitioners, and the school prospered greatly as they extended their activities to Osaka as well.
This piece has a wide, slightly shallow curvature with a medium cutting edge, and a bright blade with a well-cut ko-gunome forging, itame grain with ground boiling, mixed with ground sceneries, and a bright nioi with alternating grains in a curved style. It is considered to be the work of the second generation of the Rai Kinmichi of the Mishina school from its age, and the signature with the branch chrysanthemum crest and the first year of the Tenna era has documentative value.
The name Hohkyo in the signature is an abbreviation for Hohkyo Shonin, one of the original priestly ranks. The name is derived from a phrase in the Jizo Jirin Sutra, a Mahayana scripture translated by Genjo: ‘Because I seek the Buddha, I will transcend the sea by building a raft, and because I seek the Dharma, I will benefit sentient beings by building a bridge’.In the Jukunsho, it is stated that the poet monk Hoshi Kensho composed the poem ‘I envy you, what kind of person has crossed the border? O Keeper of the Dharma Bridge, guide me.’ and was elevated to the position of Dharma bridge.According to the decree of Emperor Monmu Taiho, there were eight ranks awarded by the Imperial Court to monks: Hoin Daiwasho-i, Hogan-wa shoi, Hokyo shonin-i, Dento Daihoshi-i, Dento Hoshi-i, Dento Man-i, Dento Ka-i and Dento nyu-i rank. Of these, Hōin, Hōgan and Hokyo were considered to be monks of high rank, i.e. those who held the rank of priest.
[ Conditions ] Very excellent.
