Wakazashi Tag Translation

[Hardrada55]

I recently received a short Japanese type sword with fuller which had the following tag tied to a red laminate scabbard. If anyone could help me I would be very grateful. There is no commercial use of this information. I do not even know if this is oriented correctly. Please forgive me if this is picture is too big or is oriented incorrectly. Many thanks....

 

[Nobody]

富山縣中新川郡雄山町榎四四 (Toyama-ken, Naka-Niikawa-gun, Oyama-cho, Enoki 44) - address

有馬一雄 (Arima Kazuo) – owner’s name

 

則光 (Norimitsu) – maybe the mei of the sword, added later?

[hybridfiat]

Any chance of some pics of the sword?

[Hardrada55]

Here are scans of the mei.

 

 

[John A Stuart]

Fairly hard to read but looks like 備州長船則光, Bishu Osafune Norimitsu. So the tag refers to Norimitsu as Koichi san said. John

[Brian]

Yep, I got that too.

So someone added it to remind themselves of what the mei says without having to remove the tsuka.

There were a bunch of them that signed that way, so not sure which one it is.

 

Brian

[John A Stuart]

It is dated in the Onin era so may be NOR166 (20pts). John

[Brian]

That's what dial-up gets you. One pic loads and you are grateful, and think it's finished :D

Thanks John, missed the other pic. So possibly mid 1400's if not gimei. That first kanji of Onin looks a bit haphazard?

 

Brian

[Hardrada55]

John, To what does "Nor166 20 pts" refer? Thanks

[John A Stuart]

A little. What is interesting is the upper mekugiana is huge as compared to the more normally sized two. Maybe the owner could show the whole sword. Why the spacing on what appears to be an ubu tang? Machiokuri? John

 

It is a reference number to the particular smith. Found in Hawley's ID system. John

[Bazza]

Hardrada (?) - the nakago looks like it has had a hard time. The colour and appearance suggest to me that it has been cleaned with a proprietary rust cleaner, one with phosphoric acid that converts the rust to a phosphate???

 

Regards

Barry Thomas.

[Hardrada55]

We will post pictures of the whole sword soon. EDIT: Here are pictures. Barry, I have not touched the thing. I just got it. This is, as it was when it came into my hands.

 

 

 

 

 

An attempt to show the hamon.

 

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

There was a Norimitsu (and not Nagamistu as i firstly said. :? thanks John for correcting) who had a long career which started in Bun'an 1444 untill Bunmei 1469/1487.

 

Some oshigata, the last mei shows a gassaku (joined work) with Katsumitsu in Onin Gannen (1467).

 

 

 

[John A Stuart]

I don't understand Jacques, the bottom scan shows a gassakumei of Katsumitsu and Norimitsu. What does the reference to Nagamitsu mean? John

[Bazza]

We will post pictures of the whole sword soon. EDIT: Here are pictures. Barry, I have not touched the thing. I just got it. This is, as it was when it came into my hands.

OK - I notice better colour in your recent set. Could be a white balance issue. Nice to see a lacquered saya. The hi going into the koshinogi suggests Koto as well.

Regards,

Barry Thomas.

[pcfarrar]

A little. What is interesting is the upper mekugiana is huge as compared to the more normally sized two.

 

Are large mekugi-ana a feature of Koto Bizen swords? I notice in the examples Jacques posted they have similar sized large mekugi-ana. I also have a Bizen Munemitsu katana with the a large mekugi-ana in the same position as this Norimitsu.

[Jean]

Peter,

 

By no means, it depends on the nakago close-up pictures (katana or wakizashi/tanto). If you are referring to Walt's sword, the biggest mekugi ana is not the original one.

 

http://www.aoi-art.com/sword/katana/06222.html

 

As you can see, it is far from being a feature ...