SteveM

Hello Paul The are both by Utagawa Kunisada, aka Toyokuni III. They are illustrations of scenes from plays/kabuki. The first one (tobacco smoker) is the middle panel of a triptych, and features a character called Oni Azami Kiyokichi (sorry, I don't know the story). It was done in 1859. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunisada You can see the triptych here http://ja.ukiyo-e.org/image/waseda/101-4005 The second one was done in 1858, and is from a story called Nyōbō O Maki http://ja.ukiyo-e.org/image/waseda/100-2669

I agree it looks like 廣利, of which two are listed in Wakayama (both late Edo). I was hoping either entry would give me a clue as to the right side, but I'm not getting anything. It looks like 囗若弟子, but I can't figure out the top kanji., 弟子 (deshi) means apprentice, if that helps any.

Hello Steven, Yes it looks like an aogai mijin nuri scabbard, which was popular in late edo (or so I read somewhere). I agree that it isn't National Treasure-level quality. Still, it looks to be in fairly good condition, even if there are a few bits of gold-leaf missing from the sakura petals. And obviously its missing a tsuba too (unless its meant to be an ai-kuchi scabbard, but I think that's unlikely). The newish tsuka-maki and same/shark/ray skin doesn't bother me that much. At least the tsuka-maki looks like it was done professionally, and was well executed. The fuchi and kashira have maybe a karuta theme. I can't tell what the menuki are. So overall it has the effect of a good scabbard that someone was restoring, or maybe someone was assembling pieces to fit a sword that had no koshirae. But I like it and it has a charming, playful quality to it.

延壽(花押)　Nobutoshi? (kao) then on the right side 山庵里人　San'an satobito ?? (wild guess)

Hello David, The mei on your sword is from a different Onitsuka Yoshikuni to the one who made the sword above. I think George is right in that your sword is WWII vintage. It looks like it has had the rough life of a military sword, having lost the yokote (if it ever had one), and with no signs of a boshi or hamon. Mind you I am making a lazy judgment from an armchair on the other side of the internet. Your sword could be hiding some details that haven't shown up in the photograph. However, unless there is some compelling activity in the sword that suggests it is from a few centuries ago, best to assume it is a vintage-WWII blade.

The pool is so limpid: one suspects that it's not so deep. Lotus stirs: one knows that fish have dispersed "Fishing Bay" Chu Guangxi, Tang Dynasty Poet (found after a bit of Googling)

Mei on the knife reads 品川入道内一作 Shinagawa Nyūdō Uchikazu(?) saku Unsure of the bit in red.

元徳二年正月十五日　 Gentoku 2 (1330) January 15th, I think.

I think 臨川堂 (not sure how to pronounce, but I'll guess Rinsendō). This is the artist's name of a couple of artists of the Tsuji group (eg Mitsuō, Mitsutane, Mitsumasa), active in the latter part of the Edo period. No idea as to whether or not it is authentic.

Well done. Allow me to burnish the rough edges. This is an excerpt from a tōsōgu reference book: Wakayama's Tōsō Kinkō Jiten. It is the entry for (presumably) the artist who made the works contained in the box - Yoshimune. "Last name of Tsukui. Known as "Ichibei" (in other words, his first name). Apprenticed to Ono Yoshitoshi. Signed as Tsurusensai Yoshimune Kinsaku. There exist a set of his menuki with the accompanying date of December, Keiō 1 (1865) kinoto-ushi. Lived until (at least) 1892. Skilled/Expert. Tokyo, Shiba, Shin'ami-cho (nb. Present day Shimbashi. Kind of in-between Shimbashi and Hamamatsu-cho stations. Shinbashi is the train station you are likely to use if you go to the DTI). Artist's name: Tsurusensai

It says 三谷喜 which I presume is a name, MITANI Yoshi (but Yoshi by itself is somewhat strange). Could also be the name of a company: there is a lacquerware company in Kyoto by this name (Mitaniki) The final kanji in the picture above is a variant of 喜, but the meaning is the same.

Hello James, as Jean mentioned in the previous thread, usually the signature comes in the form of (top to bottom) Location (the province, or kuni where the smith worked) Smith's name There are a limited number of provinces, and not all of them were great production centers for swords, so with a bit of practice you can recognize the kanji for the main provinces, and that will lead to a hint for the smith's name since smiths from one location/school often adopted names that had a particular kanji in them. The links posted on this site ("Research") are full of good information. To get you started;

This might be close, but not tokubetsu http://www.seiyudo.com/ta-120812.htm

Hello Ed 火薬　kayaku gunpowder

There was a thread recently about an estate sale auction (I think in Memphis?) where the estate was auctioning off a huge haul of swords. I think the firm handling the sale was an online estate auction firm. That might be one option for your friend to consider.

Hello Kay - John nailed it previously with 梅沢六左衛門 切落之 Umezawa Rokuzaemon Kiri-Otoshi kore - with Rokuzaemon being verified by Guido Schiller's list of sword testers. I also think the two Johns are right with 正元 being the last two kanji (maybe the top line of 元 has been scratched off - or, if it is in inlay, the inlay has fallen out). Maybe this is the name of the person who did the actual writing of the saidanmei - but that's just a wild guess.

My attempt at the date. Showa 39 = 1964

No telling exactly how old the koshirae is. Say anywhere from 300 - 150 years old. I have read that this type of "aogai mijin nuri" (mother-of-pearl) koshirae was popular towards the end of the Edo period, which would make yours roughly 150 years old if it was made during that time. As is often the case with Japanese swords and fittings, older doesn't necessarily mean better. Think of koshirae as replaceable parts, and the sword may have had several different koshirae throughout its life. (Yours certainly would have since the sword was shortened at some point). The koshirae in your pictures looks to be in very good condition. Could be even more recent than edo period. In any event, it looks fabulous. As for the sword itself, its looking very much like a kanbun shintō, the name for swords made during the latter half of the 17th century, when a shallow sori was popular. It fits with the 延寶 date on the sword. Of the 包永 I linked to, there are two entries for Kanenagas in Enpō era, but these two actually point to the same smith (KAN205). This KAN205 Kanenaga is from Settsu province, which is right next to Yamato. So, close enough to be a potential candidate I think. There is also a Kanenaga (KAN201) from Kanbun era from Kii province, which is also next to Yamato - so I think that is another candidate. Given the shortened length and the flashy koshirae, it could have been owned by a merchant who had it shortened to comply with rules forbidding non-samurai from keeping katana-length swords - but this is complete speculation on my part.

There is a bucketload of Kanenagas. Check out the list here. At least one of these are Enpō 延寶 http://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths/meisearch?type=All&mei_op=contains&mei=%E5%8C%85%E6%B0%B8

I think Thomas nailed it. Sasshu ju Kiyosada 薩州住清貞

I would suggest the smith might be 包永 (Kanenaga). And John's date of 延寶 Enpō is correct.

Haha - yes, that's how I would read it phonetically. Translated word-for-word (or close to it) it would be For body warrior inability standing this merit/achievement 為身戦者不能立其功 Now anybody's guess is as good (and hopefully better) than mine.

蔓延辛酉正月胤吉作 Man'en 2 (1861), January 為身戦者不能立其功 Kanbun style: the reading is beyond me, and I would be completely guessing at a meaning - so here goes ; maybe some sort of message to invoke martial bravery ("may this sword bring you success in battle" sort of thing).

Yes I learned a new word and kanji today - 餌畚（えふご）　efugo Seems to refer specifically to the bag or basket which holds the food used to feed/reward falcons when going out on falconry/hawking expeditions. Apparently the hitsuana on the tsubas resemble these baskets (I didn't quite catch the resemblance, but for sure I am more literal-minded than the people who came up with these words). Today the word comes up in the tea ceremony, where there is a specific tea container that is supposed to resemble this basket as well. (picture below) http://verdure.tyanoyu.net/kensui_efugo.html Yet another case where the sword world has expanded my vocabulary.

I don't know about the arsenal stamps. This smith is a bit of a mystery. I just had another look and the Kunihide mentioned on Jinsoo Kim's site uses a different "hide" from yours, so I really don't know anything about your Kunihide. There were at least two other smiths in the distant past who used 国英, but I wouldn't assume that your sword is a few hundred years old just yet. Would need to see more pictures (and even then it can be hard to tell). The best thing to do would be to have an expert look at it.