IN NEED OF A TRANSLATION ON AN OLD SHIRASAYA

[Gilles]

Hello gentlemen,

 

I just acquired a little sankaku yari which was found on a old shirasaya. The cap of that shirasaya is quite uncommon. Several kanji are written. I can read the signature of that yari but that is all. Can you tell me what is the meaning of the bigger kanji and of the smaller kanji too which are located on the reverse of that saya? Last but not least, is someone able to tell me why this saya cap is shaped like this ?

 

Thank you so much for your actice help.

 

PS : the yari is signed KANESHIGE SAKU

[george trotter]

Picture 3 says ? Kaneshige saku.

Hope this helps,

[Markus]

The inscription says:

 

"Go-ryûsô Monju Kaneshige saku" (御龍鎗　文珠包重作), lit. "Dragon yari made by Monju Kaneshige"

 

And the inscription on the other side ends with "jûsan-ban" (拾参番), "Nr. 13".

 

Does the blade show a dragon horimono? Never seen a saya cap like this.

[Gilles]

Thank you for your switf answer gentlemen,

 

Dear Georges, it helps,

 

Dear Markus, thank you very much for your translation. No dragon horimono visible, the blade is very slender with a nagasa of 10.5 cm and a total length of 36.5 cm. Not really the blade you will use to slay a dragon.

 

Please have a look of that blade and its mei. can you translate the first two kanji ? The other beeing KANASHIGE SAKU.

 

Best regards,

[takakage]

Hi,

 

As markus said, the two first kanji are monju. Monju school made many yari.

 

Often the nakago of theses yari are more long.

[Gilles]

Oups, O.K. Patrick, thank you for those explanations.

[kunitaro]

御籠鎗 O Kago Yari

 

文殊包重作 Monju Kaneshige saku

 

四拾参番 43 ban (nr.43)

[Gilles]

Thank you dear Kunitaro,

 

So if I understand well this yari was made to be mounted as a kago yari ?

 

Best regards,

[takakage]

I think yes for many of them......but i have one with a long pole of 230 cm

[John A Stuart]

Is using 御籠 'okago' more correct than 輿 'kago' in this context? John

[Markus]

Ah, "kago" of course! The twisted pic also twisted my brain. :D

[Ken-Hawaii]

Not really the blade you will use to slay a dragon.

 

Maybe a very small dragon? Do you have the nagaye to go with the blade?

 

Ken

[Gilles]

Thank you for your answer Patrick.

No nagaye with the blade Ken, just a complete shirasaya.

Sorry for the twisted picture markus :D .

 

Thank you very much gentlemen for all those much needed precisions.

[george trotter]

Ah..2 kanji (mon ju) not one kanji (with a mon radical at the top)...that explains why I couldn't find it Markus :lol:

Brain is broken...muust sleeep...

Regards,