Help for a Friend

[Jean]

A friend of mine send me an oshigata of a Naginata mei, impossible (for me) to deciphere. Then he send me another picture saying that the first kanji of his oshigata was the one I circled in his picture. Can anyone decipher this mei?

Don't ask any picture for obvious reasons

[Maurice_lmb]

Hello Jean

 

I would say IWA if it a smith nam.

 

maurice

 

2nd message

 

as I can see JU 3rd kanji then I think that it is related to a province "wakasa"

[Shugyosha]

Dear Jean,

 

I'm trying to improve my Japanese so I took a stab at translating the mei - I hope you don't mind and I'm sure someone will correct me shortly. I make it:

 

Suo Iwakuni Ju Masa Uji Saku.

 

Unfortunately I can't come up with anything sensible for the two characters on the right.

 

I think the character you are trying to tie down is 岩 from Iwakuni.

 

I hope that isn't too wide of the mark and will retire to my bunker to dodge any incoming flak.

 

Kind regards,

John M. Johnson

[Nobody]

周防岩国住 藤原正茂作 - Suo Iwakuni ju Fujiwara Masashige saku

 

However, I could not find the name in my books for now.

[Jacques D.]

Hi,

 

Maybe Ganmaku 岩捲 I can't read the second kanji correctly so i'm very unsure.

[Jean]

Thanks guy, that was quick. In fact my friend is interested in the name inscribed on the piece of paper. He is unable to take a picture of the niji mei so he tried to copy it twice on the second picture.

 

So the name could be "iwa ...."??

 

See Jacques post, thanks a lot, anyone have another opinion?

[Nobody]

Now I see the point. That is 岩捲 - Ganmaku.

[Jean]

Thanks a lot Guys, as usual. :D

[IanB]

Fujiwara Masashige is listed in Kei Kaneda Chappelear's book as working in Suo during the mid Edo period where he is described a member of the Myochin group. In Sasama's 'Shin Katchushi Meikan' he is listed as an Haruta smith working in the mid Edo period in Suo.

Ian Bottomley

[Jean]

Thanks Ian, I knew that the chiselled mei was coming from a Katchu smith, as the pictured mei was on an armour