Signature And Date

[CSM101]

Hello all,

 

 

I have here a tang. Chikushu Minamoto Nobukuni, that´s for clear and as a date something 11. I see an 8. But all the rest is too much for me and so I need your help.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Uwe G.

[Peter Bleed]

An interesting bit of challenge. I read the date as Bunka 6, so that would be 1809, in November. But to figure out where/how he made this you need to know a bunch of local landmarks and temples

Great fun,thanks

Peter

[Shugyosha]

Hi Uwe,

 

As usual a partial translation:

 

又四郎美高

Matashiro Yoshitaka (the smith's sumurai name?)

 

筥埼八幡宮神水沒造之

Hakozaki Hachiman guu...tsukuru kore. (made this at the Hakozaki Hachiman shrine....)

 

If anyone has any ideas about how the kanji in red (god, water, drown/ sink) should read, I'd be grateful to be put out of my misery.

 

Best,

John

[John A Stuart]

Tough, seems 'Pure Land Sect', reference to water shrine beyond the Western horizon. John

[SteveM]

I think 神水汲 (Kami mizukumi?). Seems to be a reference to Hachiman Shrine in Hakozaki, Fukuoka (formerly Chikushū), but I don't get the rest of it. 

Also, I think the smith's name is 美昌 (Yoshimasa)

 

On the reverse

 

文化元年十一月日

[Peter Bleed]

Steve is right about the year.and I also think the reference is to a rather specific piece of holy real estate. And I like the Yoshimasa call is very reasonable, too!

Again, this has beenfun!

Peter

[Shugyosha]

Indeed. Thanks to Uwe for posting and to John, Steve and Peter for helping me out. Something new learned!

 

Best,

John

[CSM101]

Thank you all for your help!         :bowdown:

 

I´d never thought, that translation could be fun.

 

 

Uwe G.

[Markus]

The supplement (shinsui-kumi kore o tsukuru, 神水汲造之) is to be taken literal, i.e. "made by using/drawing sacred water (from the Hakozaki Hachiman Shrine)."

[kunitaro]

Yes, it is said that the sword was made with Hakozaki Hachimangu's sacred water (for Yakiire).

 

The Chikuzen smiths were often forging swords in Hakozaki Jinja. they had Kajiba(a smith) in shrine site.

We have no written reference about it, but, local craftsmen and collectors know that when they dig the ground of north side of main house near west gate, they can find a lot of black iron oxide. that is the evidence of smith.

 

also, there are more Chikuzen blades which has same mei since mid Edo period.

I think that they were doing it since Koto period.

 

Yoshimasa is one of very good Chikuzen smith in Shinshinto period and he is a master of Horimono and also Tsuba making.

There are a few master pieces made by Yoshimasa in Fukuoka, they have excellent dragon Horimono, and he is Suguha master. 

 

Many of Mumei tsuba master pieces which are attributed as "Umetada" were made by Chikuzen smith include Yoshimasa. said our master polisher Mr.Eto.

Our workshop is located in Fukuoka/Chikuzen and Mr.Eto is the authority of Chikuzen smith,

 

Hakozaki Hachimangu/Fukuoka

http://www.hakozakigu.or.jp/pdf/english.pdf

[uwe]

Very educational, thanks guys :-)

[John A Stuart]

Yes, I agree, very interesting.