Confirmation help please: ENJU NAOHIRO aka DÔTANUKI MUNEHIRO

[Cuirassier]

Hello Guys

I am sure the mei is for Higo smith Enju Naohiro

First, I wanted confirmation if anyone is able.

 

Second, the only reference I found to this smith says that he also signed as Dotanuki Munehiro. There being some advantage if true, as there are good rankings for Dotanuki Munehiro.

Can anyone advise on this?

 

Final question, I have worked out the era is Tempo from the date inscription, and that the third character is "Go" (5), but have come unstuck thereafter. If anyone could please help me with the date as well?

 

I am also posting a question about this very interesting sword in the military section, as the fuchi and menuki are very bespoke. The fuchi appears to be of oak leaves, and I wondered if that meant a general staff officer's sword, as this would imply with British swords for example. In addition, the tsuba is missing, and I am looking for help identifying the likley type used, so I can gert one.

 

Many, many thanks.

And cheers

Mark

 

 

[Cuirassier]

My other post on this sword is here;

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18006

If anyone can also help on the fuchi, menuki and tsuba.

[seattle1]

Hello:

While some reference might state that Naohiro also signed as Dotanuki Munehiro, the definitive Iimura, Shinshinto Taikan does not mention Naohiro as an alternative and the observed mei comparisons are strikingly different. Munehiro did work in Tempo, was a highly regarded Higo smith in the early 19th Cent., often doing blades in the style of Oei Bizen as to sugata and hamon, and sometimes having masame run through the yakiba. Yoshikawa Koen sensei granted at least one of his blades Yushu saku, a rank equal to Juyo Token.

Arnold F.

[cabowen]

I have owned a Munehiro blade in the past and it was indeed excellent ; it was done in the Oei Bizen style as was his habit. I don't recall reading anything about him signing Naohiro either...

[Markus]

I backtracked the sources. The Toko-taikan says in the Dotanuki Munehiro entry

that his family name was "Oyama" but does not mention any signature variants like

"Naohiro". The Tosho-zenshu says in the Naohiro entry that his civilian name was

"Oyama Hisataro (also read as Jutaro)" and that he also signed with "Munehiro", "Dotanuki",

and "Naomitsu". Apart from that it is stated that Naohiro was a student of Naomune who

in turn was a student of Suishinshi Masahide but that Munehiro was a direct student of

Masahide.

 

The pretty different signature style suggests that they were not the same person, i.e. the

meiburi is too different to attribute this to different stages in a career. So maybe they were

somehow related.

 

I would love to have some more reference material here so that I might also be able to update

the corresponding entries in my Index.

[Cuirassier]

Hi Guys

Thank you

I was going on this;

http://www.nihontoantiques.com/fss526.htm

Regards

Mark

[Cuirassier]

Hmmm, clearly Nihonto Antiques know something others do not, or maybe it is a bit of "large"?!

 

Anyway, I posted images of the blade on the othert thread about this sword if anyone is interested;

 

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18006