DirkO

Hi, I've recently come across a Honami Koson origami and I've tried my best at the translation. Can someone help me to fill in the blanks? 1. x gatsu san hi Honami Koson (kao) x 月 三 日 来阿 2. Showa x x nen Hinoe Inu (1947? not sure at all of the zodiac date) 昭和 x x 年 丙 戌 3. daikin shi? x hyaku go mai (value (at least?) x? 150 gold coins) 代金 子 x 百 五 拾枚 4. shoshin 正真 4a. kan kore o-suriage x mei o (most difficult part - can't read much into it, unsure about some kanji) 鑑之 大磨 x 銘 御 4b. nagasa ni shaku san sun x bu yo (length over 2 shaku 3 sun x bu) 長 弐尺 参寸 x分 余 5 Taima Kuniyuki 当麻 國行

Sūn Wùkōng together with Dà Yǔ - possibly at the moment he receives the Rúyì Jīngū Bàng ?

We touched this topic some years ago when talking about the use of bashin and kankyuto: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1444 Seeing bashin usually have inome cut out at the lower end of the handle, I imagine this could be used to string heads together, making the transport easier? Although this is just a bashin stab in the dark ...

When a mumei blade is papered to a swordsmith's name, does the attribution also date the work in the working span of that smith? Or do they just use the last working name? Let me explain by giving an example: If a mumei blade is attributed to Mutsu no Kami Daido, does this mean that they attribute it as a later work of him, seeing he only changed his name to Daido (or Omichi) after 1569? If they thought it to be an earlier work, would they have used the attribution Kanemichi?

Yep, thanks for clearing that up!

First two kanji puzzle me: 1st looks like 幸 yoshi? 2nd looks like 奥 oku ? Probably one of our resident guru's will help out :-)

Hi James, Yes, that's an option, but there's a better one. Use a bidding site like justsnipe.com. You set your maximum bid beforehand and they just bid in the last few seconds before the auction ends. This way you avoid bidding wars, it's an all or nothing bid.

For what it's worth: I did one for the Bizen Taikan and I would recommend Excel over Word, simply because then you can easily make an index which is sorted on page number and add an index sorted on smith name. Makes the index easier to work with afterwards.

Wouldn't it be logical/easiest to fake the "default" mei of a smith? The more you add to the mei (date, steel used, what have you) the easier it will be to spot the fake? Off course if the default mei of a smith would include a date, you'd obviously also want that on a gimei.

Who's Mia and why do you blame her? :D

守 Kami 大掾 Daijô 掾 Jô 介 Suke 1. Kami - Kami means Lord and would be seen in a mei that may read for example, Iga (no) Kami in your case would mean Lord of Iga province. Hawley’s lists Kami as the highest rank or title that a smith may possess. 2. Daijô - Daijô refers to a Second or Assistant Lord. Hawley’s lists Daijô as the Second highest rank or title that a smith may possess. Other titles are Jô and Suke. These are pretty much the same as far as rank goes and would rank as Third Lord or Second Assistant Lord. In the mid 16th century, it became common practice to add official and honorary titles to mei. These were usually in the form of Kami, Daijo and Suke for official titles and Fujiwara, Minamoto, Taira and others for honorary titles. These titles were sometimes handed out by Daimyo and other lords for services rendered, but it is also believed they were sometimes purchased, or given out as bribes. There is some conjecture as to their significance, some say they have varying degrees of importance, others think they aren't all that meaningfull. --- The above came from the excellent Kanji Pages by Richard Turner: http://www.jssus.org/nkp/common_kanji.html

To go back to the original topic, I came across this text which I found very fitting:

I agree, even today a good reference library is necessary to research your own blades. There is a lot of info on the internet, but there's even more info in books which isn't. I started out with the usual introductory books, but I find myself now leaning more towards reference books, who in their own right are very collectable (Teiryo Yoji, Showa Dai Meito Zufu,...)

Here's the post from 2 years ago about that 'coin' tsuba (like John I immediately recognised it :-) ): http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4608

Fukurokuju is not the name of the deer, it's the name of a deity closely related to Jurojin. Some say that Jurojin is Fukurokuju's grandson and that they inhabit the same body.

Doesn't it mean that the mei itself is illegible but that it's signed nonetheless?

Interesting post from a while ago: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8879

From the top of my head, Muramasa fell out of favor with Tokugawa Ieyasu because a number of friends/relatives got wounded or killed by Muramasa blades. He ordered that no samurai would use Muramasa blades any more. Obviously those who were against the Tokugawa shogunate reverred these blades. Sometimes they changed or removed the signature in order to conceal it's maker's name. I think this might well be such a tanto. Hamon, nakago, ... seem correct.

Catalogue arrived this week - very nice photographs and an English index to boot! Although ordering directly from the museum proved too troublesome, it's also available through Sanmei.

Could these cracks be the result of a straightening of the blade ? :?

http://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/popup_e.html Meibutsu - Treasured Japanese Swords 2011 August 27 ［Sat］- September 25 ［Sun］ This exhibition presents a collection of meibutsu or famous swords handed down in shogunal and clan lord families and traces the development and evolution of sword-making. Any one planning a visit there? Wouldn't mind a couple of exhibition catalogues if someone is kind enough to buy a few.

助 Suke ? No idea about the last kanji ....

Thanks Thierry and Bob - very informative!

Thanks Thierry - So it seems to be based on a late Edo design. As far as I can see, the figures seem to be made in shibuichi and the tsuba itself in shakudo? (but not 100% sure). In hand it looks nicer than these blown up pics. I don't know if someone has more information on the MFA one? Or more reference pictures of the same design?

First of, let me start by saying that I'm not a tsuba guy. I can appreciate some schools more than other (Akasaka, good Heijanjo and Oni) but that's about as far as it goes. I've picked up this tsuba for it's composition which I found very playfull, the tsuba actually being used by Shoki and the Oni as a background for their chase. I found the Oni gripping around the mimi with it's claw a very nice addition. The nanako (on the plate, not on the rim) seems to be fine and well executed. Measurements are 5,5cm x 6cm. Any ideas on the work or maybe a hint as to which school would be very much appreciated. Also there's some green oxidation at the top which worries me, any tips to remedy that would also be very helpfull.