Sue Seki

[kissakai]

Hi
I bought his tanto last year and I've just been checking the 'NBTHK papers'
It was described by the seller as Sue Seki, dated around 1550 and especially worthy of preservation
I thought the Sue Seki was the part in brackets (ringed) but it doesn't look like the correct kanji
Can anyone let me know what the description in brackets is?
I would appreciate any other info but this would be a bonus to my prime question

 

 

With thanks
Grev UK

[Jussi Ekholm]

未関 = Sue-Seki

 

So I think that the seller described it to you correctly.

[jason_mazzy]

agreed with jussi

[kissakai]

Wonderful - thanks

Just one more request if I may

Does it say anything about the saya?

I was told that it may be only a few years old and not aogai-chirashi (mother of pearl)

 

 

Grev

[Geraint]

Hi Grev.

 

Typically this paper would only tell you about the blade, any comments about the saya would only be on a paper associated with the koshirae.

 

All the best.

[kissakai]

_{Thanks - I didn't think papers would state anything about the saya}

 

 

_{Grev UK}

[SteveM]

未関 = Sue-Seki

 

A slight correction. 末関 = Sue-Seki.

 

未 would be Mi (a different kanji meaning almost or incomplete). Confusingly similar, but the top horizontal stroke on sue (末) is longer than the stroke underneath.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Thanks for the correction Steve, it's always very important to use correct kanji when using them. I was lazy and copied from dealers site without checking... Should have done the usual checking.

 

I must say that on my phone these two kanji 末未 look almost identical, however on my computer they look noticeably different as they should because they are different. I'm no tech guy so I find it really weird.

[SteveM]

Sorry, it was pedantic of me, but I thought it might be useful to make the distinction.

 

Like in another concurrent thread I was completely thrown by what I thought was the kanji 倅 (segare), but it turns out the kanji was actually 焠 (niragu). Slight change in the radical makes all the difference in the word/phrase. And both are obscure enough to be out of daily use, yet it crops up here in the sword world.

 

Anyway, a slight diversion, but hopefully useful or interesting to people who are studying kanji.

[kissakai]

Not something I would have notice but once pointed out it is clearly longer on the 'papers'

 

 

Grev UK