Ray Singer

The previous Yoshimune with Hachiman Daibosatsu inscription did sell offline shortly after I received it, however I just received another interesting Takahashi Yoshimune which appears to have been made as an utushimono of Izumi (no) kami Kanesada. Please message me to discuss further. Best regards, Ray

The mei (inscription) reads Norimitsu. At a glance, this does not look like an authentic mei of the smith from the Bizen Norimitsu lineage.

I missed your comment about the existing shirasaya. There are sayashi who can clean old scabbards if there is any accumulated material inside. John Tirado and Josiah Boomershine are both individuals that I would recommend.

This gives the impression of being a Sue-Seki blade (late Muromachi period, 16th century, Mino province). While I do think this is worthwhile to consider for restoration, the condition is not abhorrent and it appears that everything can be seen and appreciated for the most part. So, you may want to consider keeping it in its current condition.

Shoami.

Very much appreciated, thanks @Jussi Ekholm!

Maik, what I have been trying to express to you is that the same kanji appear differently based on the hand of the artist. You should not expect a mechanically rigid execution of a mei that matches stroke-for-stroke the way you see the kanji in print. That simply is not how swordsmith's mei look in the real world. This is one Yoshihisa below. There were several craftsman with the art name of Yoshihisa, and I am not saying this is the same person who signed your sword. Nor that it should match exactly. A variation.

No, I don't think it is Yoshimitsu. As mentioned above, it appears to read Yoshihisa. I was only sharing the Yoshimitsu mei for the variations on the kanji for Yoshi.

I understand. I am showing variations in writing the same kanji.

Another example. Variations on how the same mei of Masatsugu might appear on different smiths' swords.

No, this has nothing to do with difficulty in executing a straight line. Mei are calligraphy, and calligraphy is expressed in different ways depending on the hand of the craftsmen. This is the famous swordsmith Toshiro Yoshimitsu.

There are many ways that kanji are expressed in mei. They not aways executed in a rigid exact way and strokes do not always connect with one another.

This is a set I had not long ago and actually had offered here within the group. The mitokoromono was attributed to Kaga Goto.

@Maik, 土 refers to the radical and does not mean a mei that begins with the kanji 土. The Kanji 吉 (Yoshi) contains the radical 士 at the top.

Typical typo on my part, what I intended was Yoshihisa rather than Toshihisa. Thank you for correcting.