Myochin school

A helmet by Myôchin Masuda, c. 1730

Japanese: 明珍家 (Myouchin ke)

The Myôchin school, or family, was a lineage of renowned armorers stretching back to the 12th century. The successive heads of the Myôchin line remained prominent and famed through the Edo period, and retain a succession and a sizable collection of notable items of arms & armor today.

The lineage traces its origins to an armorer named Munesuke (宗介) who lived on Kujô-dôri in 12th century Kyoto. Attracting the attention and favor of Emperor Konoe (r. 1141-1155, Munesuke was granted the honorific art-name (gô) "Myôchin," which he then passed on to his descendants.

The 54th family head Myôchin Munesuke (1688-1735) is particularly renowned. He is buried at Kôgen-ji in the Komagome neighborhood of Tokyo along with a number of his successors.

Selected Members of the Myôchin lineage

Myôchin Munesuke 明珍宗介 (54th family head, 1688-1735)
Myôchin Masuda (active c. 1688-1749)^[1]
Myôchin Munemasa 明珍宗正 (55th family head)
Myôchin Munemasa 明珍宗政 (56th family head)
Myôchin Munemasu 明珍宗益 (or Sôeki, 57th family head)
Myôchin Sômin 明珍宗妙 (58th family head)
Myôchin Munekuni 明珍宗邦 (or Sôhô, 59th family head)
Myôchin Muneie 明珍宗家
Myôchin Muneharu 明珍宗治 (60th family head)
Myôchin Muneyoshi^[1]
Myôchin Nobuie^[1]

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References

Plaque at family grave of the Myôchin line, Kôgen-ji, Tokyo.[4]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Gallery labels, "Samurai: Japanese Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection," LACMA.[1][2][3]

[barbier-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Gallery labels, "Samurai: Japanese Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection," LACMA.[1][2][3]

[1]