Mirror-image Mei

[Bugyotsuji]

A friend in London was showing me a wakizashi with the Mei written in reverse image. (Kane-something.) I tried running a search here on the NMB but came up blank. The subject is not mentioned in my single work of reference here in London, John Yumoto's The Samurai Sword.

 

How common was this practice, and do the members have a) other examples, b) a more accurate word to describe it. In one book I found the expression hidari-kiki or left-handed, but was the signature written this way to indicate a rare left-handedness that had not been corrected in early age as per norm?

[Nobody]

包保 (初代) - Kaneyasu 1st

Ref. http://www.tokka.biz/sword/mutsu.html

 

The mirror image characters are usually called 逆(reverse)文字, 裏(back)文字, 鏡(mirror)文字, or 左(left)文字.

[Bugyotsuji]

Hidari-Mutsu

 

So, Gyaku-moji, Ura-moji, Kagami-moji and/or Hidari-moji Mei...

 

Many thanks for your kind, considered and informative reply, Moriyama Sama!

[k morita]

Hi,

I have an original oshigata of this smith.

[Bugyotsuji]

Morita Sama, your Oshigata Mei is quite distinctive. Very interesting. Thank you for showing it.

[Ed]

Odd, the oshigata example is not cut backwards ?

 

I had one of these several years ago. Here is a photo of the Nakago for reference.

[runagmc]

Here's the mirror image of the oshigata. Could the pic Morita-san posted be a mirror image, and this be the way it really was? Just a thought...

 

Didn't he cut ha-agari yasurime? Also, I've only seen swords of his signed katana mei...

[runagmc]

Here's another papered example, http://www.touken-sakata.com/index.php/ ... 4-03-13-59

[Drago]

Very interesating.

 

So, what is the reason for doing something like that?

[k morita]

Hi,

Thanks runagmc. :D

 

This my oshigata was not drawing by Sekkaboku-black-wax.

This Oshigata was printed with painted black-ink to the Nakago(tang) directly, like a Hanga print.(Old technique of Oshigata). :D

[Ed]

Oops, guess if I had paid attention to the entire nakago on the oshigata I would have noticed that!

 

Drago,

My understanding was that there was no reason, supposedly he was left handed and cut the characters backwards. However, I wonder if he may have been dyslexic and learned to cut them the way he saw them.

[runagmc]

I have read that Kaneyasu's son (nidai Mutsu no Kami Kaneyasu) also used this mirror-image mei for a while, but at some point changed to a normal one...

[Bugyotsuji]

Certainly if you spend your life hammering with the left hand it would not be easy to cut Kanji right-handedly. Each stroke would look wrong.

 

A mirror image would have been the most natural/effortless way to cut them. (?)

[runagmc]

Personally, I don't really get the left-handed theory. I've never heard of left-handed people writing in mirror image - I don't even see how the two things would be connected.

 

It seems like the cause would be a mental abnormality rather than a physical one.

[cabowen]

I have heard it postulated that he was dyslexic.....not knowledgeable about that affliction so I have no idea if that is a plausible explanation or not....

[Ed]

I am no expert on Dyslexia, but it is a learning disability which impairs an individuals ability to read. I have read that a very small percentage of dyslexic individuals do write words backwards.

 

I suppose it is possible that Kaneyasu was dyslexic, but I doubt we will ever know for sure.

[Dewa501]

How about this guy could not read or write at all, and someone drew what he wanted on a piece of rice paper, he took it back to his workshop and placed the paper upside down on his bench and copied what he saw. Just a thought.

Chris.F.

[Justin Grant]

Maybe he did it to keep people from faking his work... Can't be easy doing what he did.

 

And yes, people with Dys see letters backwards. Sometimes, whole words.

[Brian]

Or he could have just wanted to stand out from the crowd and do things differently, and taught himself that way.

Many possibilities. Conclusions....not so much. :D

 

Brian