Peter Bleed

John, Thanks, This is an interesting article. PETER

We are all familiar with the several long “lines” of swordsmiths that operated – mainly – during the Edo era. Tadayoshi, Yoshimichi, Tanehiro, and – dare I say it – Kunikane. The usual approach to these long lines is that they reflect respect or loyalty to family or tradition or something like that. And that when an heir was “adopted” he had to forego his natal home and willingly take over leadership of the “line.” Who arranged those adoptions? And what happened to extra sons in these families? I am aware that some of the Sendai lines had multiple sons, but lots of times there seems only to have been one heir. And if there were multiples, what happened if the oldest boy wasn’t the best? We have all read about samurai values and all that. Oliver Statler’s Japanese Inn presented that narrative very clearly on the commoner level (and it is still a great read). But I have many questions. At least, it would be interesting to know how this system worked. Who oversaw all this continuity? How was it handled when an heir was need quickly? And – more cynically – what was really at stake. Were heirs recruited to carry on a line? Were they found because they were NEEDED? Or were they somehow sold a franchise to a brand? And if it was the latter, who got the value? Is there any literature on these sorts of issues? Peter

I have seen blades presented to shrines and temples that were mounted without mekugi(ana). It is still a sword, it just can't be used.... Can they be registered? Peter

WOW!, Mark thank you very much for opening this thread. I obviously found it a stimulating - if not completely successful - exercise. But then growing up with my family name should have prepared me for the fact that surnames shouldn't be translated too literally. But then Gabriel very gracefully - but expertly - used the thread as an opportunity educate me (and maybe others) about Kanji manipulation in the computer era. Finally, we got an answer. Thank you all! Peter BLEED

Mark, 浦江？？奉公會 The 2 question marks are "Juu go" meaning homefront. So it was associated with a local horsemanship & patriotic organzation Peter PS. See, when I was coming up we had to spend a half an hour griinding ink before we could write. So this whole kanji in text thing is beyond me.

well, gee, Mark. This is one of those horse race related "prizes" isn't it? Looks like the donor's name and the event, but I bet we need to see the other side of the nakago, . . . please. Peter

Let me add my name to the list who would be interested in seeing this exhibit. In fact, it sounds like this show addresses a broad array of topics including political intrigue, economic excess, and armor development. Momoyama era Daimyo had plenty of dough so they could trick themselves out pretty well. I think it is fair to link their efforts to "bushi-do". These guys were warriors who were laying it on the line - or at least letting their armies do real battle. A couple of centuries later, during the mid to late Edo era, lots of samurai affected another round of real dandyism. These guys were samurai but it seems wrong to link their manner of foppish excess to bushido. These guys were more like drug store cowboys. One of the flavors of that later dandyism was "Rampiki" of "Dutch Craze". I my view, that is the fad that gave us the MASS of the common Namban fittings we see today. Peter

Chinoiserie, IMHO poorly placed tachi-mei Peter

mumei Mitsukane. P

Thanks, John. Indeed, it would have been a start, but Wikipedia moved me in a different direction. And now I am climbing a series of other learning curves! Peter

Leave the sale - or better yet see if they have some towels or something you can use. This club is signed by a "smith" who used the name Yoshichika. He also used a butter knife to cut the signature and add the date May 1944 Peter

Brian, Thanks for persevering. I realize that KK1 etc may not be entirely obvious altho as close as I was at the time, they could ONLY mean "Kunikane 1" I'll have to spell that out and add kanji. And you are completely correct in pointing out that the data available on the great mass of smiths is not nearly as complete as what is available on the mainline. At least I think I can show the students of the Kunikane 1 - and there were a bunch of them!. Peter

Attached is a spreadsheet of the Kunikane line - should anyone care. This is obvioulsy a rought first pass, the poor 5th generation needs LOTS of work. and this is not fully proofed, but... for what it is worth. And I only have 250 more smiths to add

Forgive me if I was short. My fear of spread sheets and kanji was misplaced. Thru the wonders of the internet, Microsoft office, and contacts and the National Security Agency, I have one side of my spreadsheet up and running. Is this what sword collecting has come to? Peter

Ken Indeed, I am aware that "entire books" have been written about swords. And I am familiar with the Sho-shin site. I understand that it is easy to determine when specific smiths operated. It find it more difficult to get a handle on how communities operated and how different smiths and schools were arrayed in time. It is easy to figure out the specifics, but - from my experience - it is hard to see and grasp broad patterns. My interest is also limited to the smiths of the Sendai Han. That included some 272 recorded smiths. Essentially NO koto smiths worked in this area. so I am interested in the Edo period. Let's round that off to the period from 1600 til say 1900. I am NOT interested in presenting a LIST of smiths. That's available. What I think would expand understanding is a matrix that shows which smiths were working at different times. We're talking about an EXCEL chart of only 272 by 300. That is NOT that big. Now, if you think that is a dull idea - or even a dumb one - I don't care. What I was hoping is that someone in this community might be able to help me generated a list of the nengo of the Edo period. That will be less that 300 rows. I'll work on the 272 columns. Peter

Friends, I am trying to organize and present information on Sendai swordsmiths. I recall that nifty fold out in Ikeda's Shinshinto Nyumon that presented the lifespans of the major smiths in a spreadsheet of the relevant nengo. This presentation is - well - interesting. I think I could assemble basic data for most of the Sendai smiths and in so doing reveal - well - something. To quick start thsi project, I wonder if anyone has and will share - or can point me to - a spreadsheet of the Edo Period. Peter

I just checked the Francis Allan et al Banzai volume on Imported Japanese Arms. It has nothing like this. My guess is that this is probably just some old gun. If you want, you can send it to me and I'll take care of it. :D Peter

This is a neat arm. It is certainly Japanese manufacture. The inscription may include something more than a name. "Kunitomo" could be a name, but it also could be something else - like "Koku Yu!" meaning some thing like "National Companion." The rest of the inscription looks like a name, Fujimaru something Peter

Chris O Actually, I think this might be a nice tsuab. I am assumiong that it is iron, right. It looks, however, like the habaki was jammed in there by what I would have called a "Cowboy" until I saw you address. I assume it was a nice old two piece habaki that a non-Japanese decided to ram into the hitsu. In Nebraska, pieces with modifications like this are described as having been "Cowboy'd". I suppose that they are called "Digger'd" in Aus. If a magnet sticks to the guard, and it was mine, I'd just remove the habaki remnant. It is scrap copper, but the tsuba might be okay. Peter

Ron, Well, the consensus seems to be that you are right on this gun, but I feel the need to say that I think you're a real buzz killer. I was just pretty sure that this was a Samurai quick draw rig that some ronin with a black hat carried to quite the streets a "Raredo." Peter

Grey, I assumed this was a send up of somebody. My immediate reaction - ahh, fear - was that you were teasing me for some silly question I had posed. Like the published author who really did say, "Gee, here's another sword by Mumei. He sure did make a lot of swords." Peter

Thank you All! The Board really and truly does make access to a fabulous community easily available. These insights have moved this project is a rather different direction than I had planned. I suppose that is good. I am quite sure that my sword started life as something like an English 1796 style Cavalry saber. Quite as such things go. I'll try to post an image - I I am challenged by the image process. Again, thanks. Peter

Friends, I am trying to work up a paper on want I am sure is a late18th/early 19th century European cavalry sword that was remounted in Japan into a - well - tachi. I see it is the extreme end of the Namban craze. The blade was reshaped at the tip and given a kessho hamon. It is unmarked, but I recall reading treatments of the development of blade fuller rolling. This technology created age distinctive ricassos I can't recall where I saw that discussion. I think I read about it, but I think it may have been addressed on other sword board. It is not rolling out of my library. I also recall that Sanson's history described a specific instance of a European blade being repolished in Japan. But, I'm not finding that reference either. Are there any "cosmopoletes" on this Board who can point me to discussions of this topic? Peter

I'd think the gimei possibilities are pretty good. Peter

If this is Japanese it is of odd workmanship. Peter