Ron STL Posted March 7, 2014 Report Posted March 7, 2014 Back home again since the Tampa shinsa, a more clear explanation of a Japanese term would be greatly appreciated. Attached is what was written down by the shinsa team. We heard what it was supposed to be saying, but maybe understanding the word shirotoma would help fully clear up things. Nidai shirotoma...reportedly the sword was made by nidai Masahide and then signed with his father's late-in-life name, Amihide, making the sword a gimei as if made by shodai himself. If more can be said about this term and perhaps more on why the son would had done this and why...well, it just seems there is some "learning" possible here. Chris did his best to explain such puzzles during the weekend, but he could only do so much...why I thought this would be the place to elaborate on this particular question. Thanks! Ron STL Quote
John A Stuart Posted March 7, 2014 Report Posted March 7, 2014 Does that not refer to a sword that was made by one smith, unfinished by death or illness and completed and signed by a student or son with the name of the original smith? John Quote
Markus Posted March 7, 2014 Report Posted March 7, 2014 The term mentioned on the sheet is not "Shirotoma" but "Shirokuma" (白熊, also read Hakuyû), the gô of the 2nd gen. Masahide. So the entry says basically just "work of the 2nd Masahide-generation Shirokuma". Quote
cabowen Posted March 7, 2014 Report Posted March 7, 2014 Ron- The comment on your worksheet says: 2 dai (2nd generation) Shiroguma Nyudo Masahide's work. Shiroguma Nyudo is part of his signature. He is the nidai Suishinshi Masahide. Whoops, seems Markus beat me to it.... Quote
John A Stuart Posted March 7, 2014 Report Posted March 7, 2014 So it is signed Masahide, not Amihide. John Quote
Ron STL Posted March 7, 2014 Author Report Posted March 7, 2014 Quote Does that not refer to a sword that was made by one smith, unfinished by death or illness and completed and signed by a student or son with the name of the original smith? John, the sword is actually signed Amihide. Thanks guys for making the worksheet comment clear. Is there any possibility that this would be as John asked above? Obviously the shinsa team did not feel this was a daimei since daimei would be accepted, right? Ron STL Quote
runagmc Posted March 8, 2014 Report Posted March 8, 2014 So... they judged the sword to be the work of the nidai Masahide... signed with the late name of the shodai (Amahide)... but shinsa team didn't think the mei was engraved by the nidai (which would have been shoshin daimei)... but that the mei was done by someone else, and so gimei? Quote
Eric H Posted March 8, 2014 Report Posted March 8, 2014 Nidai Masahide left few swords in his life. I have another example in my library where he signed with „Kawabe Sadahide“. More detailed information can be found in Markus‘ index, however there is no mention that he has signed with the name „Amahide“. The following pics are from a Katana by nidai Masahide. In the third year of Bunsei (1820) he entered priesthood and took the „go“ „Hakuyu“ which can also be read as „Shirokuma“. The omote mei is explained and the interested reader will notice that the nenki on the nakago is ...nigatsu and not sangatsu. Eric Quote
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