Classification of Nio school.

[just a rookie]

I have some question about Nio school. Can anyone here please educate me about this?

 

There are 3 classifications of Nio school. 

 

Ko Nio - The beginning of Nio school, middle to the end of kamakura. 

Nio - the beginning of nanbokucho till the end of nanbokucho.  

Sue Nio - Early years of Muromachi until the end of Muromachi.

 

Am I correct? 

 

Thank you in advance! 

 

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

So far I have not yet found Ko-Niō attribution from Japanese sources. I believe the attribution Niō [二王] can include blades from possibly Middle Kamakura period in few cases but more often from late Kamakura to the end of Nanbokuchō period. I am basing this on the information of NBTHK Jūyō sword setsumei I have studied. This is for mumei swords that are attributed to Niō, as smiths would be identified more closely. I think one problem is that apart from Kiyotsuna [清綱] the signed Niō work from Kamakura or even Nanbokuchō period are extremely scarce. Often just one or few pieces by very few smiths.

 

I can't help much with Sue-Niō as my personal interest starts to fade after early Muromachi period so I have not studied or researched them much. I do know there are much more signed Niō works from middle & late Muromachi period. And for the school is much easier to find signed reference items from Muromachi, and many more smiths appear.

[just a rookie]

@Jussi Ekholm Thank you so much Jussi. Me too, never seen " Ko- Nio" as well. But Tanobe sensei mentioned about "Ko-nio" on a friend's sword and I saw another example of Nio blade that has a Sayagaki from him, he stated that it is a Nio and the jidai is not later than nanbokucho period. So, that is why I think it is a bit confusing about the classification.  

[Franco D]

On 2/23/2022 at 10:03 AM, just a rookie said:

There are 3 classifications of Nio school. 

 

Ko Nio - The beginning of Nio school, middle to the end of kamakura. 

Nio - the beginning of nanbokucho till the end of nanbokucho.  

Sue Nio - Early years of Muromachi until the end of Muromachi.

 

Am I correct? 

 

Yamanaka lists only two, Ko Nio and Sue Nio.

 

There is a note at the top of page 378 (Volume I newsletters revised);

Ko Nio - worked in Yamato Tradition

ca. pre- Memmu Era

 

The first listings are Kiyozane and Kiyotsuna Genkyo Era.

 

Of all my references I'd say Yamanaka is the most used.

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

I think experts like Tanobe and Yamanaka have so much more knowledge. Tanobe could maybe refer it being early work by Niō school, pushing it towards middle Kamakura period? For example there is long ō-suriage mumei katana with attribution den Niō in Jūyō 18 (that session has lot of Niō), in the description it says near the end / この刀は鎌倉中期の作であろらか / This sword was made around middle Kamakura period (my rough translation). It is quite rare as other mumei Niō items seem to be put towards late Kamakura / Nanbokuchō by NBTHK.

[just a rookie]

@Jussi Ekholm @Franco D Thank you so much, I will send this question via my friend in Japan and I will leave his opinion when my friend see him. 

 

 

[DRDave]

Don't know if this info is valuable or not, but a Nio Den with Tanobe sayagaki was just listed here:

https://nihontoantiques.com/project/ko-nio-den-katana-fss-899/