Signature On A Tanto

[Marius]

Dear Friends,

 

may I as you for help on this one? Those kanji make no sense to me. The registration paper of the tanto was Mitsuhiro, but I see no big resemblance. The tanto itself looks like a Nambokucho/early Muromachi sword, not thet it matters. I shall be happy to publish pics of it. 

 

Disclaimer: I might offer this tanto for sale here on the NMB, so if you feel uncomfortable with it, I will understand. Just wanted to be honest.

 

Thank you

[Fuuten]

Sorry i can't be of help

 

But good of////for you!

[Shugyosha]

Hi Mariusz,

 

Do you mean Mitsuhiro like this? 光廣

 

I think that the second kanji would maybe pass for "hiro" but can't make out much of the first one. 

 

Best,

John

[Marius]

John,

 

yes, this is what I meant. But I think we can disagree with the torokusho. Thanks

[Ray Singer]

I actually do see Mitsuhiro (光廣) in that mei.

 

Best regards,

Ray

[Kronos]

I can see why they could think  mitsu, but it's very different in a lot of ways. I just can't see what else it could be with the 3 top strokes that are very unique for mitsu, a hard one for sure. Do you have any pics of the blade?

[Robert Mormile]

Mariusz, Perhaps 綱廣 Tsunahiro. RM

[Brian]

John,

 

yes, this is what I meant. But I think we can disagree with the torokusho. Thanks

 

I think torokusho are far more unreliable than we would think. Bet the people who write them out are far from sword experts.

[Markus]

I think it is indeed Mitsuhiro, just with the lower (儿) radical chiseled in a somewhat "dissolved" manner and with the right hook executed like (ム).

[Ray Singer]

I think it is indeed Mitsuhiro, just with the lower (儿) radical chiseled in a somewhat "dissolved" manner and with the right hook executed like (ム).

 

I thought the same Markus. Sometimes you see the radical with a sharp angle, but the example from Mariusz is more abstracted with the horizontal stroke disconnected.

[Marius]

Thank you, gentlemen

 

If we settle on Matsuhiro and accept the signature as genuine, according to Markus's excellent Index this could be the Kozori smith working in the Nambokucho period.

 

I will post some pics later on if you are interested. 

 

Again, you guys rock! 

[Kronos]

The Kozori smith used a different character for Hiro, but then again this isn't the first Kozori mei that has confused the hell out of me.

[Marius]

James,

 

Thank you Of course you are right. I should have looked at the nakago-jiri. This must be a tanto by:

 

MITSUHIRO (光広), Eishō (永正, 1504-1521), Kaga.

 

A few pics attached.