Yokoyama Suketaka 横山祐高
Traditional blacksmith from Bizen, active between 1865 and 1898.

Shinshinto blacksmith from the province of Bizen, today Okayama, in the southwest of Honshu. Its origins come from the line of blacksmiths Sukesada de Osafune, active during the Muromachi period.

Suketaka was the pupil of the first generation Sukekane (around 1834-1872). Sukekane Shodai considered himself the 58^th direct descendant generation of the great historical blacksmith Tomonari.
Suketaka was therefore a student of Sukekane at the same time as the great Miyamoto Kanenori 宮本包則, recognized as a living National Treasure (Ningen Kokuho 人間国宝).
His productions are dated from the Keio period (1865-1868), he died in 1898.


Dans une publication de la ‘Japanese Sword Society Of United States, Inc’ de 1977/1978.
Suketaka aurait pour nom civil ‘Hisayama Mokuemon’, et est mentionné comme élève de Ise No kami Sukenaga (maitre de Sukekane).
Sukenaga étant décédé en 1951, on peut supposer que Suketaka commença l’apprentissage de la forge avec lui et devint ensuite élève de Sukekane.

The blacksmiths of Bizen produced many sabres during the Muromachi period, and particularly during the Sengoku Jidai period. The demand for weapons was then very strong among the powerful feudal lords.
However, the tradition of sword-forging in the province of Bizen almost disappeared due to the devastating flood of the Yoshii River (1591), which hit the school of Osafune hard. Despite this destruction, some blacksmiths survived. Among them was a group of blacksmiths signing the name Sukesada. The main representative of this school was Yokoyama Fujishiro Sukesada, fourth master of the Sukesada school. One of his sons was Shichibei no Jyo Sukesada (七兵衛尉祐定). They were among the pioneers who revived the art of sword-forging in the province of Bizen. Suketaka was a descendant of this Sukesada.

Suketaka began making sabres just before the ban on wearing the sword, the Hatorei 廃刀令 in 1876. The demand for sabres was then in very strong decline and the blades of this time are rather rare. He is considered the last blacksmith of the ancient lineage Bizen Osafune Yokoyama.

This is a very beautiful blade, a perfect example of the high-end productions of the blacksmiths of Bizen.