Asano Kanezane kanji

[mecox]

Its just recently come to my attention there is some variation in kanji of Seki swordsmith Asano Kanezane.    In his mei on his swords he uses an old style of “zane”  眞.      The kanji I have been using generated by my software is the modern form   真, and this "zane" can also be read as "masa".   

Some older published documents also use the modern form of his name, e.g. the 1944 list of Seki swordsmith registrations,　and a 1952 Seki newspaper  article.  The modern form is also used in a 2003 table for Seki tosho that I received from Seki. 

However, the older form is used in a 1940 Seki city publication about swordsmiths, and the 1942  Dai Nihon Token Shoko Meikan (business directory).   

Unfortunately, I have used the modern form in the recent article we published in NMB on the Seki  Kojima swordsmiths.  Not a major error, but please be aware of it. 

So his name is Asano Shinichi Kanezane     浅野   新一　兼 眞

 

  

 

[IJASWORDS]

Mal, if you look at the OSHIGATA section of the JAPANESESWORD INDEX site you will find 6 KANESANE/KANZANE. , 

[mecox]

Sure, and they are all the old form that he used on his mei.

[IJASWORDS]

[IJASWORDS]

Mal, was there any relationship to KANEHISA, who also had a hot stamp?

[mecox]

The Kanezane is typical mei (old form of "zane") and his kokuin.

The Kanehisa looks to be O-Sawa Kanichi Kanehisa who was a co-student of Kojima Kanemichi with Kanezane, but the kokuin would be unrelated to this.  This kokuin clearly has the 2 kanji of his swordsmith  name.

Not clear:   Kanehisa was a student with Kanezane  in the Kanemichi Mon

[Kiipu]

On 12/16/2020 at 10:19 PM, mecox said:

The kanji I have been using generated by my software is the modern form 真, and this "zane" can also be read as "masa".

 

Mal, do you think this signature is using the new form?

Japanese WWII OFFICER SHIN GUNTO - Tang Kanji and stamp

[mecox]

No I don't believe so.