Big Naginata W/ Snake Horimono - Kunishige

[Jorgensen]

Some pictures of a newly aquired Naginata with Horimono id like to share for your interest.

 

Signature seem to be Kunishige (Mizuta school)... Im not sure which Kunishige...

[John A Stuart]

That Horimono is different. I can't remember seeing one like that, going around. John

[DirkO]

I would assume this poor horimono was done later (perhaps even in the West) to hide flaws.

[Teimei]

Hi Jimi,

 

i think the naginata looks nice, just a bit put off by the snake. I saw a yoroi-doshi with a dragon horimono that was similar in style, but i forgot where.

 

 

regards,

[Greg F]

I thought maybe it was done in Japan and had been polished a couple times since? I agree it may have been to remove/hide flaw/s. I dont mind the blade though. Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

 

Greg

[Darcy]

Well Google Image Search for "snake horimono" was not particularly useful.

 

[John A Stuart]

My eyes, my eyes. Darcy, what did you do? John

[Kai-Gunto]

  On 2/26/2016 at 10:56 PM, Darcy said:

Well Google Image Search for "snake horimono" was not particularly useful.

 

I have some issues about the missing seppas and it looks like they was never mounted.

Theres a bat on the ura side of the tsuka. Why only on ura?

I got this picture in a search....

[Kai-Gunto]

Could it be mounted for rebellion?

[Bazza]

Looks like the kind of sword Keanu Reeves might use in his next movie re-writing Japanese history (just finished watching "RONIN"...).  A friend long ago had a large wakizashi (Oo-tanto??) made I think by a high ranking samurai (so signed).  The blade had a well-done horimono of a snake.  A visiting Japanese collector of the time commented that it was not done by a horimonoshi, but more likely a mirror maker.  A very interesting sword.  I still have a full-length oshigata I made somewhere in my chaotic storage system.  I'll try and find it and put it up for this discussion.

 

BaZZa.

[Marius]

I guess Darcy's picture is appropriate as a comment.

[Jean]

His right buttock must not feel brave as the snake on his left one is aims to strike it LOL

[Jorgensen]

Thanks for your comments.

 

IMO the horimono seems to have seen some polishes, so it does not seems to be a newer addition to me and have been of better quality when newly made. If it have been made to hide flaws is difficult to say - maybe, maybe not.

 

Does any have info on the mon / family crest? -I have searched and searched, but cant find anything on this particular one.

 

More info on the blade / mei / which Kunishige will be much appreciated too.

 

BaZZa... I would love to see that oshigata =)

 

Darcy... pleease stop posting selfies haha

[Darcy]

They are calling these "snake horimono" ... but it in google image search and you will see!!!! It's all like that lol.

[SteveM]

Family crest is called 菱に二つ引き　(hishi ni futatsu biki), meaning just as you would assume: two lines in a diamond shape.

 

Related crests, such as two bars in a circle, are associated with the Ashikaga family, so this could be an offshoot from that family. Bear in mind that the association has become diluted with the passage of time. 

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%BC%95%E4%B8%A1%E7%B4%8B

[Brian]

Well...horimono does mean tattoo, so it is to be expected

[Ian B3HR2UH]

The late Ron Gregory, who wrote the books on Military Swords, had a daisho with similar snake horimono on the blades .Interestingly the mountings also featured  snakes entwined around the tsuka and saya. One blade was signed Awataguchi Tadatsuna dated 1652 and the other Kaneiye dated 1574 so the horimono were almost certainly later additions, The swords were illustrated in the sale  catalogue of part of his collection and the Dai was also shown in the1968 Token Society catalogue .

Ian Brooks