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[Rickisan]

Mornin' Gang-

I've read that some smiths,(like Kiku Ichimonji) were given permission to engrave the Imperial Chrysanthemum mon on the tangs of his swords, as a rewards for his service. And I know what they look like.

 

My question is...while glancing thru my Directory of TOKEN YORAN by Iimura Kasho., I noticed a simlar kind of engraving on a blade.

 

I was hoping someone could shed some light on it, give it a name, or what its purpose is.

 

Again, Ive only seen it in one book, and cannot read kanji very good.

 

Please check out the attached picture.

 

Thanks for any help..

 

Rick

[Guest reinhard]

Hi Rick,

 

It was an honor given to a smith from a high ranking personality to engrave the Mon of his family on his blades. The Mon here belongs to a sword by Ippei (or Ichi-no-Hira) YASUYO from Satsuma province. Shogun Tokugawa Yoshimune held a swordmaking contest in Edo castle in 1720. The Satsuma smiths (YASUYO and Mondo-no-Sho MASAKIYO) achieved the most remarkable results and were allowed to engrave the Aoi-Mon of the Tokugawa on their swords henceforth. You will find Aoi-Mon in a different form on swords of Echizen YASUTSUGU smiths, patronized by the Tokugawa Shoguns.

 

reinhard

[Rickisan]

Reinhard-

Thanks for the detailed answer, I really appreciate it!

Rick

[Guest reinhard]

Sorry, I wasn't precise enough last night. Your picture shows one single hollyhock leaf. The Aoi-Mon of the Tokugawa was built of three of them in a circle. Technically it is not correct to speak of a Mon in the case of YASUYO. Nevertheless even the permission of engraving one single leaf was a great honour.

 

reinhard

[Guido]

Just a piece of trivia: it's called IchiyŠAoi-Mon 一葉葵紋, one leaf pauwlonia crest.

[Nobody]

Just a piece of trivia: it's called IchiyŠAoi-Mon 一葉葵紋, one leaf pauwlonia crest.

Sorry, a little correction;

---> one leaf Asarum crest (maybe)

 

http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/Botanical ... a-aoi.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_ginger

[Rickisan]

My thanks to everyone...

 

Rick

[Guido]

---> one leaf Asarum crest

Koichi, you are right, of course - pauwlonia would be Kiri . Aoi is usually translated as hollyhock.