Kozuka mei

[kissakai]

Can someone help with this mei

 

 

 

I normally use Robinsons ‘Arts of the Japanese sword for my translations

1st kanji looked like Sui or Midzu

2nd kanji – Although a simple form I can’t find it!

3rd kanji – I think it is Ko although another reference tsuba shows it as Nyudo

4th kanji – I could only find this in Yumoto’s ‘The Samurai Sword (I never normally use this book) and it is shown as Masa

5th kanji – Hide

 

As you can see I struggling with the mei and assuming it is Masahide then the three previous kanji make no sense to me.

Any comments of the Kozuka would be nice (I only have the one). It appears that the small image on the right is the Empress tree.

 

Grev UK

[Geraint]

Hi Grev,

 

If you have got Hawley start looking at the smiths name, Masahide and see what you find.

 

Cheers

[Veli]

Hi Grev,

 

I think:水心子正秀

You could try once more by yourself before checking the answer:

 

Suishinshi Masahide

 

 

I would not bet it being shoshin...

 

BR, Veli

[nagamaki - Franco]

Kogatana mei, kozuka is handle part.

[kissakai]

Hi Veli

Thanks for your help

I assumed that Masahide was correct and checked in Hawleys as suggested and found:

Suishinshi Masahide H 07688 1750 - 1825.

It says he was only a tsuba maker but his son Sadahide H 07688 made tsuba and F/K

I'm assuming it can only be H 07688

Without the kanji you gave me I doubt if I would have found it as I wasn't convinced it 'Masa'

I will do a bit more research on H 07688

Many thanks

 

Franco - thanks for your correction as I'm keen to learn

 

These are not my normal collecting field so if anyone else can give me any more information I would be grateful

 

Grev UK

[Brian]

Grev,

No point researching the mei too much. Since most kogatana contain gimei signatures of famous smiths (homage maybe...wishful thinking at best) this one is claiming to be made by the famous swordsmith Suishinshi Masahide. It isn't though. The maker of the blade is not the maker of the kozuka either. They are 2 different things.

 

Brian

[ROKUJURO]

SUISHINSHI MASAHIDE info:

 

http://www.nihontocraft.com/Suishinshi_Masahide.html