CHISELLERS
but as armourers their history may be said to commence with the sixteenth representative, Munemichi. The names are as follows, in chronological order:
- Miyōchin. Munemichi. 640 A.D.
- Miyōchin. Munetsugu. 670. Said to have forged armour for the Emperor Tenji.
- Miyōchin. Munetoshi. 690.
- Miyōchin. Munematsu. 720.
- Miyōchin. Munemori. 760.
- Miyōchin. Munemaro. 800. Armourer to the Emperor Kwamma and Seiwa.
- Miyōchin. Muneshima. 820.
- Miyōchin. Munekuni. 840.
- Miyōchin. Munetora. 860.
- Miyōchin. Muneyori. 880.
- Miyōchin. Muneshimo. 890.
- Miyōchin. Munemori. 910.
- Miyōchin. Munetoshi. 930.
- Miyōchin. Munezane. 980. Said to have forged a shield of gold for Minamoto no Mitsunaka.
- Miyōchin. Munekazu. 1010.
- Miyōchin. Munekuni. 1030.
- Miyōchin. Munenaka. 1060.
- Miyōchin. Munetsune. 1100. Known in the artistic world as Go-Munetsugu, or the “second Munetsugu,” having changed his name to Munetsugu in his late years. Said to have forged iron armour decorated with eight varieties of dragons (hachi-riyō).
- Miyōchin. Muneyoshi. 1140.
- Miyōchin. Munesuke (1). 1154 to 1185. Called also Masuda. Had the rank of Idzumo no Kami. Worked first in Idzumo for Yoritomo; then in Kyoto, and finally for the Minamoto in Kamakura. He is said to have forged the suit of armour worn by Yoshitsume, and now preserved at the Kasuga Temple. Commonly he is spoken of as the first representative of the family, but the fact is that the art of decorative forging first became admirable in his hands.
- Miyōchin. Munekiyo (2). 1200. Worked at Kamakura. Had the rank of Giyobu Taiyu.
- Miyōchin. Muneyuki (3). 1215. Worked at Kyoto. Had rank of Giyobu Taiyu.
- Miyōchin. Munemasu (4). 1225. Worked at Katsuyama in the province of Kii. One of the greatest of the Miyōchin artists. Had the rank of Hyoye-no-Suke.
- Miyōchin. Muneyoshi. 1200. Second son of Munesuke.
- Miyōchin. Munehide. 1200. Third son of Munesuke.
- Miyōchin. Muneyasu. 1200. Fourth son of Munesuke.
- Miyōchin. Yoshikiyo. 1220. Son of Muneyoshi.
- Miyōchin. Yoshitsugu. 1220. Son of Muneyoshi.
- Miyōchin. Munenao. 1230. Second son of Munekiyo.
- Miyōchin. Muneshige (5). 1240. Lived at Odawara. Had the rank of Sakyo no Tayu.
- Miyōchin. Munekane. 1240. Second son of Muneyuki.
- Miyōchin. Munesumi. 1250. Third son of Muneyuki.
- Miyōchin. Muneto. 1240. Second son of Munemasu.
- Miyōchin. Munetada (6). 1270. Worked at Sano in Mino. Had the rank of Shin-dayu.
- Miyōchin. Shigeiye. 1270. Second son of Muneshige.
- Miyōchin. Yoshishige. 1270. Third son of Muneshige.
- Miyōchin. Munetsuna (7). 1300. Worked in Kyoto. Had rank of Sakon no Tayu.
- Miyōchin. Muneyoshi. 1310. Second son of Munetada.
- Miyōchin. Munemitsu (8). 1320. Worked in Kyoto. Had rank of Hyobu Taiyu.
- Miyōchin. Munenori. 1330. Second son of Munetsuna.
- Miyōchin. Munemasa (9). 1330. Worked in Kyoto. Had rank of Sakon no Tayu.
- Miyōchin. Muneyasu (10). 1380. Worked in Kyoto. Had rank of Hyoye-no-Suke. Made a gold helmet for the Shogun Yoshimitsu. He received large estates in recognition of his skill.
- The first ten generations of the family, from Munesuke in the twelfth century to Muneyasu in the fourteenth, are known as “Miyochin no Judai,” or the “Ten generations of Miyōchin.” They occupy in the history of armour-forging a place somewhat analogous to that occupied by
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