Looking for information on (ko) Fujishima

[Sukaira]

Recently looked at a mumei blade that NBTHK papered explicitly to Ko-Fujishima, which would mean during Tomoshige's time.

 

A few pieces of info I have found online regarding Tomoshige: 

1. "He was of the Rai Kunitoshi mon, his grandfather being Kunitoshi's son.  He was the third of the Tomoshige in the Rai Kunitoshi mon, and the first generation Tomoshige as founder of the Fujishima school.  His works resemble Bizen den and that of  Yamashiro Nobukuni.  The Meikan lists twenty-nine texts in which he is included, which speaks to the importance of this smith.  Kanewaka emulated his hamon."

2. From Sesko's sword smith compendium: "...Tanobe Michihiro sees the origins of the Fujishima school in the Shikkake school..."

Then also a juyo-bijutsuhin tachi that is preserved in the Atsuta shrine. (of interest since Fujishiro rates him as Chu-jo saku)

 

Just wanted to see if anyone had a good resource or more references on the Ko generation.

[Ray Singer]

Here are a few reference examples (which you may have already seen). 
 

https://kako.nipponto.co.jp/swords/KT114188.htm

https://www.nipponto.co.jp/swords9/NT332895.htm

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=434152672160242&set=a.423863166522526

 

[Sukaira]

Haven't seen these - thanks!

[Rivkin]

There are many old genealogies connecting the lineage to Rai or Bizen, but in reality its provincial Yamato offshoot. 

[Sukaira]

That makes sense as Tanobe thinks Shikkake origin and I did see in passing a mention here: https://nihonto.com/uda-school/

[CSM101]

This is Token Bijutsu 416. Unfortunately without translation but in the text Rai Kunitoshi is mentioned. You can also find the sword in "Swords from Kyoto" between Rai and Ryokai. 

 

 

[SteveM]

The article above was written by Tanobe-sensei. 

 

He says, (my loose translation of the salient bits)

 

Regarding Tomoshige 1st; he is said to have been either a student of Rai Kunitoshi, or a student of Kashū Sanekage. However, by looking at the the oldest extant sword believed to have been made by Tomoshige 1st (Important Art object in the Atsuta Shrine) the former claim, while not impossible from an age standpoint, seems difficult to accept judging by the style in which the sword was made. Meanwhile, the latter claim is inconsistent with the age of the sword. Indeed, judging from the work of the jiba, and from the shape of the nakago jiri being in the style of Katayama, and from the workmanship being of the kind often seen in kanmuri-otoshi blades, it seems as if it is a continuation of the Yamato tradition, and swordsmith groups coming from Yamato, such as the Uda who settled in Etchū in the Hokuriku, and Nobunaga et. al who carried on the Taima tradition in Echizen Asago, are gaining attention. 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Fujishima Tomoshige is interesting smith. Unfortunately I havent yet seen the long tachi of Atsuta Jingū in person but I have it in several references. Similarily the JūBi posted above is now in the collection of Kyoto National Museum and I havent seen that either but have it in even more references.

 

Now the question that I present would be who are these other Ko-Fujishima smiths? For the early generations of Tomoshige I have 40+ signed reference swords, 1 signed sword by Fujishima Tomokiyo, for others...there is possible 1 that would be of this school. Of course lines can get bit blurred.

[Jacques]

The link between Tomoshige and the Rai school has never been established, and this theory is not recognized.

[CSM101]

That is hopefully helpful.

 

 

[Brano]

23 hours ago, CSM101 said:

This is Token Bijutsu 416. Unfortunately without translation but in the text Rai Kunitoshi is mentioned. You can also find the sword in "Swords from Kyoto" between Rai and Ryokai. 

 

 

This sword was also published in Token Bijutsu En
Here is a PDF scan

730010781_set_GB.pdf

[Brano]

JuBi Tomoshige is in Nihonto Taikan Koto III
Here is setsumei in Japanese

NT3_Tomoshige_set.pdf

[Jussi Ekholm]

Thank you for posting the lineage Uwe. I think I have not connected Kagemitsu & Yukimitsu to Fujishima that strongly as I have seen them being "other" Kaga smiths but it is mostly my mistake.

 

The lineages are quite tricky for lot of the pre-Edo period stuff.

[Jacques]

This lineage from Markus is more detailed

[Rivkin]

I am sort of in the beginning phase of digging through my Kaga information for a writeup, so things will change, but:

I would not trust the genealogies 100%.

Kashu Sanekage is very seldom reattributed to any Kaga smiths. Despite considered the founder, his typical secondary attribution is ko Uda.

Tomoshige is more or less consistent in terms of work style, it seems to be either Yamato shikkake or maybe Kinju related, the best items tend to be from Oei.

Kiyomitsu and some other mitsu are mostly Bizen imitators. it might have something with the name they chose.

Yukimitsu is basically the most Soshu of them all. 

Considering the great number of Yamato, Aoe and other smiths migrating at the time to Echizen area, there is a chance Tomoshige and Kiyomitsu might have other relationship than father/son, for example.