Help Translating Papers From Ebay Auction

[golda]

Hi, 

i'm interested in buying my first nihonto and was looking at some ebay auctions (limiting myself to presumably trustworthy sellers and looking at papered blades only)

. 

As i'm not a nihongo speaker (nor reader) I would appreciate it if someone could help me with translating these two judgment papers and if someone might have some insights with regards to the authenticity of those (as from what i've read in this forum some of these certificates aren't deemed reliable any more).

 

thanks in advance 

Roi.

 

first one 

http://s280.photobucket.com/user/AntiqueKoushuya/media/9gatu/GG-40/IMG_7638_zpstpp889fs.jpg.html

 

second one 

http://bit.ly/2eowFfD

p.s (why would the seller hide part of the certificate as he did in that photo ? )

 

third one

http://bit.ly/2eflYLX

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shugyosha]

Hi Golda,

 

Well done on making a great start to collecting Japanese swords - you've held off from buying first and repenting later. I wish I had done the same. Often the problem with authentication papers is the lack of information that they actually give.

 

There's some information here on reading them: http://www.nihontocraft.com/japanese_sword_papers.html

 

The first one is a wakizashi, unsigned papered to the Yoshii (吉井)school.

 

There's some information here: http://www.sho-shin.com/yoshii1.htm

 

The second one is a wakizashi signed Omi Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhiro on one side and Echizen Ju Shimosaka on the other.

 

This could be one of two generations of smiths, again the paper doesn't specify which. The reason the part of the paper is hidden came up in a thread recently where that part of the paper was cut out: apparently it is to hide the name of the sword's owner when it was sent for shinsa and avoid any negative implication for the seller or their family that selling the sword might have.

 

From Markus Sesko's E Swordsmiths of Japan: TSUGUHIRO (継広), 1st gen., Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Echizen – “Echizen no Kuni Shimosaka Tsuguhiro” (越前国下坂継広), “Ōmi no Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhiro – Echizen-jū” (近江守藤原継広・越前住), student of the 3rd gen. Yasutsugu (康継), he lived in Echizen´s Fukui (福井) but moved later to Zeze (膳所) in Ōmi province, he also worked in Edo, we know. blades from the Meireki (明暦, 1655-1658) to the Enpō era (延宝, 1673-1681), itame mixed with masame, hiro-suguha with ashi, notare, gunome-midare mixed with togari-gunome, some blades show horimono, wazamono, chūjō-saku TSUGUHIRO (継広), 2nd gen., Genroku (元禄, 1688-1704), Echizen – “Ōmi no Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhiro” (近江守藤原継広), “Echizen no Kuni Shimosaka Tsuguhiro” (越前国下坂継広), “Echizen Shimosaka Ōmi no Kami Fujiwara Tsuguhiro” (越前下坂近江守藤原継広), we know date signatures from the Genroku and the Shōtoku era (正徳, 1711-1716).

 

The third one is another wakizashi signed Bishu Osafune Ju Katsumitsu (備州長船住勝光). There were a number of generations of smiths in Bizen province signing this way from around 1400 to around 1590 and, again, there isn't any hint on the paper as to which it was. Some information here: http://www.sho-shin.com/sue2.htm

 

I'll let someone else comment on the validity of papers.

 

Otherwise, welcome to the Board.

 

Kind regards,

John

[golda]

wow, that was fast... thanks !

 

[Jussi Ekholm]

In general older papers are not really recognized by NBTHK anymore. However that does not automatically mean they are incorrect. Of course it always affects the value and general opinion about the sword.

 

However I must comment that I'm really liking that Yoshii school sword (as a package when you consider all things). To me it looks very fitting to the attribution as my own personal thought about it would be Yoshii school, so at least I am agreeing with the old attribution. The downside is it is a suriage mumei wakizashi with old papers and Yoshii is not the most highly praised school. I like the Yoshii school and I think it's a quite nice package.

 

John gave some good info above. As you might have decided to go with a wakizashi which is a good choice for getting quality for money invested, I think another important thing would be comparing the condition the swords are in. And then of course you will have to decide on which sword suits most your collecting intrests (time period, smith & school, overall look etc.).

 

Welcome to the forum, I hope you will enjoy your stay in here.