A little Translation help.

[errant-artifacts]

I have posted here several times in the past with great success. I do work for an auction gallery so please be aware that what information you give me may be used in cataloging. I am an enthusiast, and not having a great deal of knowledge or money this is my way of still learning about what I love and handling great things but drawing a paycheck to boot. So thank you in advance. I will be posting pictures of sword in other forum.

[Jean]

Chris,

 

Please sign all your posts with at least a first name as per the board rules.

 

The translation is always the same concerning the beginning of a sayagaki:

 

Province name+smith name. Why don't you give it a try? it is the best way to learn (you seem to be keen to learn) .

 

At the top of the NMB page, you have "kanji page", click on it and go to province (2 characters) then there is one character meaning "Province" then two characters which are the smith name (this reads from top to bottom and refers to your 1st picture, Five first kanji.

[errant-artifacts]

Sounds like a plan...I will give it a shot currently

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Chris Wise

 

(I am keen to learn albeit with quite a steep curve)

[errant-artifacts]

No laughing... :D but does it say Mino Province? I am having trouble with 4th character, could I get a hint?

 

Thanks as always,

 

Chris

[Jean]

Chris,

 

You are very good. It says "Mi No Kuni" = "Mino Province"

 

Now the fourth one is the most used in this province. 90% of the smiths names of this province begins by this kanji, you will find it in the ten strokes serie kanji. The last one is in the 4 stokes

 

http://www.jssus.org/nkp/kanji_for_mei.html

 

Now this name is famous because the founder of the Mino school went by this name.

[Mark]

Chris

 

you are correct, good job. the 4th and 5th kanji are the makers name, the first kanji starts with "K" see if you can find a Mino smith with those 2 kanji, it is reasonably easy, the 4th kanji, when printed has 4 dots (or small dashes) at the bottom, when it is written those may not be easy to see

[errant-artifacts]

shows you what one semester of Japanese taught me lol printed is much different from written. Kane Uji I believe is the answer thank you very much for your help. Care to help walk me through the rest of the inscription? I do greatly appreciate your help and if there is interest in bidding on this should I manage to take it in as a consignment please let me know and I can make sure you receive a copy of our catalog. May I post pictures of the blade here?

 

Sincerely,

 

Chris Wise

[Jean]

As moderator, You having been honest from the start on your purpose, you can carry on by posting pictures of the blade in the Nihonto section I want to congratulate you on the effort you made to decipher these 5 kanji.

 

This inscription is called a sayagaki, it is the written inscription on the scabbard (saya+gaki) of an expert opinion. It is not a certificate unless written by a reknown expert it can be questionable, so you are welcome to post the pictures. Pictures needed are:

 

- overall picture

- nakago with hamachi and munemachi (both sides)

- kissaki (both sides)

- close up of parts of the blade with hada and hamon

 

 

Can anyone among our Japanese fluent members translate the remnant part of the sayagaki?

[Markus]

The sayagaki reads as follows:

 

美濃国兼氏 無銘

弐尺三寸二分　

安政元寅年十二月本阿弥直之丞研之

成瀬？？？？四郎左衛門重乗 合鑑定

 

"Mino no Kuni Kaneuji, mumei 2 shaku 3 sun 2 bu.

Polished and appraised by Hon´ami Naonojô in the twelfth month of Ansei one, year of the tiger.

Naruse ???? Shirôzaemon Shigenori [there are four characters I can´t decipher on the pics so a

translation of this line is impossible at the moment]"

 

Hon´ami Naonojô Narishige (本阿弥直之丞成重, 1828-1882) was the 15th generation of the Hon´ami Ko´i line.

He was the predecessor of the famous Hon´ami Ringa.

 

内藤三左衛門尉十一代孫越後村上城主内藤紀伊守信親佩刀也伝之信親嘉永六年老中ニ任シ文久二年辞シ元治元年養子豊前守信民家督節此刀ヲ譲ル

"This sword was handed over to the adopted son Naitô Buzen no Kami Nobutami [1850-1868] on the occassion of his succession of the

family when Naitô Kii no Kami Nobuchika [1813-1874] - who became rôju elder in the sixth year of Kaei (1853) - retired in the second year

of Bunkyû (1864). Naitô Kii no Kami Nobuchika, who wore this sword, was the lord of Murakami Castle of Echigo province and the successor

in eleventh generation of Naitô Sanzaemon no Jô [Nobunari, 1545-1612]."

 

It would be nice if it is mentioned in the catalogue that the translation was done by me (Markus Sesko).

[errant-artifacts]

The perspective consignor expects a steep price tag so I do not know whether I can accommodate them with a reasonable estimate yet. But I can definitely give you credit, hopefully credit your name via Nihonto Message board. My cataloging is subject to a editorial process so I will do my very best to accurately describe and credit on this sword. Thank you again.

 

Chris Wise

[k morita]

Markus,

You are genius!

 

Your "????" part are ---候藩伊賀--- .

Iga(family name) Shirozaemon Shigenori in Clan of Lord Naruse.

[Jean]

Chris,

 

To set up a price estimation, one has to examine the sword in hand. Only nowadays Japanese associations (NBTHK, NTHK (s)) can validate or not the Kaneuji attribution and give a level kanteisho to the blade quality (Hozon, Tokubetsu Hozon, Juyo/ shinteisho, kanteisho, Yushu).

 

Hon'ami family for more than six centuries has been sword appraiser, the most reknowned in Japan.

 

Now, I have seen a lot of sayagaki denied by NBTHK or NTHK, so what is worth this sword?

 

As you say

 

Answer: What any bidder is ready to pay for an unpapered blade in Shirasaya with Hon'ami sayagaki.

 

Owners cannot expect to get a maximum price without a Japanese organization genuine/quality certificate.

 

Only very knowledgeable people having seen/held the sword can take a risk and place a high bid.

[Markus]

Markus,

You are genius!

 

Your "????" part are ---候藩伊賀--- .

Iga(family name) Shirozaemon Shigenori in Clan of Lord Naruse.

 

Thank you Morita-san!

 

So this line is: "Iga Shirôzaemon Shigenori, retainer of the Naruse fief" (成瀬候藩伊賀四郎左衛門重乗)

Literally: "Iga Shirôzaemon Shigenori, [from the] fief of the Naruse lords."

 

"Naruse" was another name for Owari´s Inuyama fief (犬山藩) because it was ruled by the

Naruse family from 1617 to the abolition of the han system.

[Brian]

Interesting sayagaki. Brilliant work by Morita san and Markus

Now the question. How would someone confirm a sayagaki? Blades and fittings can be submitted to shinsa, but is there a process someone can take to submit a sayagaki and verify if it is real or not?

I suspect that with such a long and detailed description..it is right. But you never know. I have seen fake mei and sayagaki with very long stories attached to them. So fakers didn't always go for the easy way out.

Also, this saya now becomes a historical and collectible item in its own right...so a new owner should have a new shirasaya made and the old one preserved with the sword.

Of course a good sayagaki doesn't mean a top quality sword. But still interesting.

 

Brian

[errant-artifacts]

I did post some pictures in the main board, I will endeavor to post better pictures and descriptions later today.

 

Again thank you all for your great help and experience

 

Sincerely,

 

Chris Wise

[errant-artifacts]

I have never sent a sword for papering before, could someone give me some pointers do's and don'ts? Is this perhaps a discussion to be started on the main board? Thank you in advance.

 

Chris Wise

[Jean]

Chris,

 

If you look in the event section you will find announcements about the next events hel in the USA where Japanese shinsa team will attend, here is the next one. If interested, contact directly Tom via PM and he will give you all the needed advices/information:

 

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