"Munemitsu" mei

[Davis]

Hi

Anyone have any thoughts on this mei?

[hxv]

Davis,

 

The mei reads "Bizen Kuni Osafune Munemitsu Saku." I can't read the last kanji below Saku. Do you have pictures of the sword and some close ups?

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Jean]

Bizen kuni JU.........

[hxv]

Jean,

 

Oh yes, I missed the kanji Ju.

 

Hoanh

[cabowen]

kore 之

[hxv]

Thank you Chris. Very interesting! I have not seen Kore chiseled this way.

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Davis]

Hi

Thank you all for your replies. This smith would appear to have worked around the late Muromachi period as it is dated to the Eisho era. It appears to me, to have a sugata of fine shape. Nagasa 42.5cm, moto-haba 2.5cm, saki-haba 1.7cm, sori 1.0 cms. Suguha hamon, ko-maru boshi with a short kaeri. Unfortunately, it has been heavily abraided but the lines of the blade are intact and there is still much meat left. I have made a number of attempts to photograph the blade but am unhappy with the results, I will keep on trying.

Mick

[Stefan]

In my oppinion :Gimei.

Yasurime is not clear, but on the other hand i can see tagane marks inside the kanji...Makura are also there.

[kusunokimasahige]

Ever seen an old sword with clear yasurime like you see on Gendaito ?

 

I do not see your Tagane marks.

 

KM

[Stefan]

Please look into the kanji. Additonaly look on the shadows of the kanji ...

I aggree, it is not easy to judge by photos

 

And no, not all blades do have clear yasurime. But when one Feature ist "overclean" why the other is not ? Many blades of this period do have clear Yasurime....

Only points to think of.

Not more, not less.

 

Beeing true : There are exampels, but they are more than Juyo....

[J Reid]

I think what stefan is trying to say is that the mei is too crisp in comparison to the yasurimei.. If yasurimei is not crisp, how could the signature still be so sharp? The wear obviously would be somewhat similar.. not completely different. Imo, in the first picture the blade looks repatinated. I agree with stefan (that the mei looks too crisp)..

[hxv]

According to Hawley's, there is only 1 Osafune Munemitsu that signs with a "Kore" at the end of his mei, and his full signature reads "Bizen Kuni Osafune Munemitsu Oite Heianjo Saku Kore." He works in mid-Muromachi (1487) and is a 13-point smith. No smith listed in Hawley in Koto times signed as "Bizen Kuni Ju Osafune Mumemitsu Saku Kore." So, I would also lean towards gimei. The complete Hawley listing of Osafune Munemitsu in Koto times is below:

 

1324: Bizen Osafune Ju Munemitsu, Student of Osafune Nagamitsu.

1362: Bishu Osafune Munemitsu (2nd generation)

1394: Bishu Osafune Munemitsu (3rd generation)

1429: Bishu Osafune Munemitsu (4th generation)

1469: Bishu Osafune Munemitsu/Bizen Kuni Yueigo Ju Osafune Sakyoshin Munemitsu (5th generation)

1532: Bishu Osafune Munemitsu (6th generation)

1487: Bizen Kuni Osafune Munemitsu Oite Heainjo Saku Kore

1558: Bishu Osafune Sakon Munemitsu

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[J Reid]

I am very interested in seeing some oshigata of 1st,2nd,3rd,4th, and 6th gen Munemitsu, if anybody has any, that would be an excellent addition to this thread.

Nobody ever talks about any other gen aside from the 5th. However, I am most interested in the 1st gen, which there are very few known examples as far as I have found. All I know is there is 1 Juyo example of 1st gen.

[Davis]

Hi Josh

Yes, so would I. I've tried taking more pictures but can't seem to capture the details. This one shows the hamon at the expense of other detail. I bought this sword from a Dutch guy selling from the boot of his car - he had a lot of antique weapons but nothing else Japanese.

Regards

Mick

[hxv]

Mick,

 

That does not look like Osafune work to me, and it does not look Koto. The boshi looks unnatural, like it is etched on. Do you have other photos?

 

Regards,

Hoanh

[Stefan]

Hi Josh

Yes, so would I. I've tried taking more pictures but can't seem to capture the details. This one shows the hamon at the expense of other detail. I bought this sword from a Dutch guy selling from the boot of his car - he had a lot of antique weapons but nothing else Japanese.

Regards

Mick

 

To be honest : I see nearly nothing clear.

O.K. an attempt : A very thin habuchi, suguha and super fine kitae...Lord of Kuwana ?

Greets Stefan

[Davis]

Hoanh

Thank you for your objective comments. The boshi is authentic, not etched on but possibly enhanced. It is, in reality much better than my poor photographic skills allow me to show. The blade has been attacked with a grinding wheel at some stage and this does obscure detail but I feel that it does have a good shape. The Eisho date would suggest that it is 500 years old but I too, do not, think it is as old as this.

Regards

Mick

[Dr Fox]

Hi Mick

 

Have you tried using just daylight for your photo 'light'. I have often used a window sill, or even a table outside. It avoids flash bounce.

[J Reid]

The blade may look a bit funny because the kissaki has no yokote and the boshi has an incorrect polish.. Probably a poor acid wash polish.. Hamon looks very weak. Overall though, most likely, a real hamon.