Japanese Master Swordsmiths: The Gassan Tradition by Morihiro Ogawa

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Product Description for Japanese Master Swordsmiths: The Gassan Tradition by Morihiro Ogawa

Item num: 88376
Item weight: 16.00 oz.
Description: In 1982, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston opened an exhibit of the works of the best modern swordsmiths, or "Living National Treasures," of Japan. To coincide with that opening, they invited Gassan Saidachi who brought his son Sadatoshi along with other student apprentices (who later became full-fledged smiths in their own right) Sadanao Mikami, Sadafusa Kato, and Sadshige Adachi to construct an on-site forge to demonstrate Japanese swordmaking. This 85-page volume documents that event, along with some blades featured in the exhibition and forged at the MFA. It also provides a nice summary of the Gassan School of forging, which originated in the Kamakura Period (1192 - 1333) and in modern times is traced back to the direct family lineage of Gassan Sadayoshi --> Sadakatsu --> Saidaichi --> Sadatoshi. This is one of the most well-known and well-regarded schools of forging in the modern era, and their signature style is exemplified by the Ayasugi hada, that features prominent, undulating waves within the steel grain, revealing their distinctive method of layering different steels in the forging process. Although Gassan Saidachi has since passed, his son Gassan Sadatoshi achieved Mukansa status in 1982 (in the same year as the MFA exhibit) and is one of the most celebrated smiths living today. Enomoto Sadayoshi (1908-2000), who studied under Gassan Sadakatsu, was another Mukana-ranked smith whose son Enomoto Sadahito is actively forging today.
After an introduction and a foreword, the book starts with a 12-page historical summary of the Gassan School including a short biography of each of the Gassans dating back to the Edo period, accompanied by black and white photographs and oshigata (detailed drawings of swords) illustrating defining characteristics of the school's style. Then there are several pages of catalog text describing the maker and distinctive features of 10 blades (tachi, katana, wakizashi, and tanto) featured in the MFA exhibit.The first 8 blades detail a succession of noteworthy Gassan blades through time, spanning from the 14th-15th century to the present. The final two are the blades forged on-site at the MFA -- one a katana by Gassan Saidaichi with elaborate horimono that took 6 years to complete, and the other a simple, but elegant tachi by son Sadatoshi. What follows in the middle of the book is a repeat of the same historical review, pictures, and catalog text, but now in Japanese. The next section is then devoted to 2-page centerfolds of high-quality B&W photos/plates of each of the 10 blades showing fine details including the sugata (overall shape), Ayasugi hada, horimono (carvings, typical of the Gassan school), hamon (differentially tempered edge), and nakago with mei (sword hilt, with signature and file marks which in the Gassan school are often refined). At the end of the book, there are some reproduced clippings from the Boston Globe and Herald highlighting the exhibit, and then a glossary of Japanese sword terms along with photos of different hamon styles and "activities" (artistic features of the forged steel) found in Japanese swords.

Paperback: 85 pages
Publisher: MFA Publications; 2nd Edition (June 1, 1989)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0878463097
ISBN-13: 978-0878463091
Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.1 x 0.3 inches


Availability: Not currently available