Shinto Tokuden

[wakiboy]

Can anyone please explain Shinto Tokuden, I know about the 5 traditions (Gokaden) but have only just realised there is a 6th one (Shinto Tokuden). I have been unable to find an explanation in the connoisseurs book other than most of the Shinto smiths are said to have worked in this tradition.

Is it just that most Shinto Smiths mixed the old traditions?

I may be showing my ignorance here but it’s got me stumped...

 

Ian

[vajo]

Ian i don't know many about this. But mixed traditions is called wakimono (Marius told me) if i had it correct in mind. I don't know if this is fixed in all periods?

[ROKUJURO]

Ian,

do you mean ROKUDEN or ROKUKADEN? I don't know if something like that exists, but ROKU is six in Japanese.

[16k]

The way I understand it is it's a way to give a name to the new forging methods that appeared in general in opposition to the easily recognizable Gokaden.

[wakiboy]

In the Connoisseurs page 116 states that (another style of sword making. called the Shinto Tokuden Tradition, also arose).

[wakiboy]

jean

I’ve not seen any reference to it being called Rokukaden but it would make sense..

[Rivkin]

Shinto steel and its typical dense itame are substantially different from gokaden and as such are a separate tradition.

Yasutsugu, Sukehiro and even Owari Seki are each not 100% reflection of some koto school. Sometimes you see more Soden Bizen, sometimes direct continuation of late Mmuromachi Mino.

 

Gokaden classification has its issues.

It mixes artistic traditions (Soshu, Ichimonji) produced everywhere, with things produced in a specific province (Bizen, Mino). Omits some koto schools altogether (Hoki, Gassan), elevates some production centers (Mino) at expense of others (Uda). And it does not apply directly to shinto which has its own styles and schools.

 

In shinto you do get some smiths that specialize on reproducing Soshu works, sometimes among other things, like Mishina making tanto in classic Soshu style. But otherwise the difference in styles is more along the lines of new groups that are formed at Kyoto, Osaka, Edo, Owari rather than Bizen versus Mino.  

 

Kirill R.