gumanthon Posted February 26, 2009 Report Posted February 26, 2009 Hi folks, Can anyone help me translate this inscription Kind Regards John Quote
Markus Posted February 27, 2009 Report Posted February 27, 2009 Hi John, I can´t decipher the last two characters, but apart from that, the signature reads "Noshû-jû Shizu Saburô Kaneuji XX" (濃州住志津三郎兼氏), meaning "Shizu Saburô Kanuji, resident of Mino province". For me, it looks like an amateurish "attribution" and was IMHO probably carved later onto the blade. For your information: Shizu Saburô Kaneuji is a big name and therefore such an "attribution" has to be taken with a grain of salt. Maybe someone is able to decipher the last two characters, so this may put a new complexion on this matter. Quote
Nobody Posted February 27, 2009 Report Posted February 27, 2009 The last two characters may be "kore o kitau (之鍛)". Quote
gumanthon Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Posted February 27, 2009 Hi, Thank you for the information a little late because I have already purchased it. I have put a link so that you can see more pictures now. On the top of the kissaki there are polishing lines I have never seen this before....has any one any idea's....nakago there is one character does this mean anything? or any information would be gratefully received thanks again. Regards John http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0387624143 Quote
Brian Posted February 27, 2009 Report Posted February 27, 2009 Polishing lines like that are supposed to be there on a professional polish. Not sure how professional this one is...but they are correctly done. As for the blade...could be a child's sword or a short wakizashi or..? I agree the mei isn't well done, and shouldn't be there. But it has a nice looking hamon and you didn't overpay at that price. Brian Quote
gumanthon Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Posted February 27, 2009 Hi Brian, Thank you very much for the information I did not realise that professional polishers put lines on the pointed end of the sword I only thought they were put on the top of the tank very interesting though thang you.not a geisha sword as suggested. Regards John. :D :D Quote
John A Stuart Posted February 27, 2009 Report Posted February 27, 2009 Geisha sword? The dansei had the sword in the hanamachi not the geiko. Bad joke. John Quote
gumanthon Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Posted February 27, 2009 Hi John, I am sure Geisha got many swords. Is it possible from the pictures to tell what age this is or what school ? also is the wooden cover original to the sword do you think. Kind Regards John. Quote
John A Stuart Posted February 27, 2009 Report Posted February 27, 2009 This looks like an amateur student work. Some things look well done and others less so. The shinogi as it goes into the nakago, the yasurime, the engraving, the fuchi koiguchi etc. seem less than perfect. The hamon is different, but, OK and the polish is not bad either. The nakago seems to have an age patina or is well done. Funny little beast this one. John Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 Might it be a Bunraku sword? looking at its size... KM Quote
Ted Tenold Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 The yakiba looks like pretty standard seki work. The mountings look Inaka-mono (countryside work), crude looking. My guess is this was made for export or tourist trade. Quote
gumanthon Posted February 28, 2009 Author Report Posted February 28, 2009 Hi, Thank you for all the idea's and feedback good or bad I am pleased to have received them evenso I am glad I bought it. With Best Regards John. Quote
gumanthon Posted February 28, 2009 Author Report Posted February 28, 2009 Hi, Just from an interest point a friend of mine had a thought that the sword might be a miniture replica Nihonto probably made for puppet shows pre 1800 which he has seen before. Also he says the signature would then be correct being done at a 1/5th scale to usual. It is much harder to forge and make and appeals highly apparently to the theatrical market in Japan. Do you think that this theory could hold any water or is pure bungkum. With Best Regards John. Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 Thats what i meant with bunraku sword.. and it definetely holds truth, since the higer end bunraku theatres of the edo period had some small nihonto blades forged by actual swordsmiths.. KM Quote
gumanthon Posted March 1, 2009 Author Report Posted March 1, 2009 Hi I understand what you mean now by bunraku sword very interesting have any of you ever seen one of these swords ? Out of curiosity is it possible to get my sword papered by the NBTHK ? or would they not verify a miniture Nihonto ?Thank you again Kind regards John. Quote
Brian Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 The old eBay listing has been removed, so how about giving us some measurements and a single overall picture? I don't think this is a miniature Nihonto at all..just a small wakizashi. Don't jump to conclusions just yet given some possibilities. Brian Quote
gumanthon Posted March 1, 2009 Author Report Posted March 1, 2009 Hi Brian, Thank you for letting me know the pictures are no longer there, I have posted some more pictures and here are the measurements = The cutting edge is 9 1/16th inch with an overall length of 14 1/4 inch when fully seated in the scabard. and under an inch wide. These are approx.measurements as I have not as yet received the sword. Kind Regards John. Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 Well. I personally judge it by the size of the habaki and nakago. Too small to be of practical wakizashi use. It would be nice if someone could place for instance a package of sigarettes next to it for scale reference. I have once seen three Bunraku swords (early to mid edo period) in a museum display about Japanese culture & theatre in the Netherlands, which also had the magnificent dolls on display. All were forged, all had hamon and all were nihon-to, but well... small, very small nihon-to. substantially smaller than even boys days swords. That is, when looking at the habaki and nakago, and having seen the sizes of the Bunraku dolls and hands, i would still go for that idea... however since Japanese love miniatures of all kinds, this even might have been a smith's special gift to someone... I have been interested in Bunraku since i was 10 years old and my parents let me watch an awesome Bunraku play on television during the Holland Festival, after which i got the book: the Master Puppeteer from them and well even tried making my own puppets.. I still find it the most thrilling and beautiful puppet theatre ever, even better than the marionette stuff Europe had in the 17 and 18th century... KM a great link which also has some nice vids : http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/bunraku/en/ Quote
John A Stuart Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 I haven;t seen them in person Henk-Jan. Are they plain or more ornate? Were there not sode-to for women that were quite small? I can't remember what they were called. John Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 I think there were sode-to for women who were small though i do not know exactly what the name was either... The puppets i saw were ornate! and the swords themselves too by the way... great looking tachi mounts, fuchi-kashira, tsuba, etcetera... also a lot of the other miniature stuff was looking awesome!! its like having a Did or Alfrex samurai doll 5 times or more the size... and even the face moves! KM here is one doll pulling its sword... and a Lord's setting: The fight of Yoshitsune and Benkei: A samurai KM Quote
Brian Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 I think it's clear from the scale pics that this isn't a regular wakizashi or tanto. I vote for Boy's Day sword, but could be for Bunraku. You likely won't know which one for sure. The small kanji on the nakago appears to be for "10" but not sure why. A good attempt at the blade inscription might help solve the puzzle. Brian Quote
gumanthon Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Posted March 2, 2009 Hi Guys, Thank you for the interesting comments maybe Brian the 10 on the nakago is for a boy's tenth Birthday if it is a boy's Day Sword. Yes it would be very nice to have a translation of the inscription on the blade but I guess this is very difficult because it can only be done by comparison. Kind Regards John. Quote
gumanthon Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Posted March 17, 2009 Hi folks, Can anyone tall me is it possible to get my sword papered by the NBTHK ? or would they not verify a miniture Nihonto ? Kind Regards John Quote
Nobody Posted March 17, 2009 Report Posted March 17, 2009 I do not think that they refuse a miniature Nihonto only because it is miniature. However, your sword will surely fail because of Gimei. Quote
gumanthon Posted March 18, 2009 Author Report Posted March 18, 2009 Hi Koichi Moriyama Thank you for your response ......in other words you are saying the mei is defiantly fake. Regards John. Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted March 18, 2009 Report Posted March 18, 2009 I dont see the Mei anywhere so please post good close up pics of both sides of the nakago. KM Quote
kusunokimasahige Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Sorry, but that is no mei, it is a quote of some kind.. what is on the nakago? I meant photos of the part which is in the hilt, with the hole in... : download/file.php?id=9934 download/file.php?id=9935 look closely under your hand in the second pic... it shows some kind of chiseled cross indentation... Could you send clear close up pics of both sides of the nakago please ?? KM Quote
gumanthon Posted March 20, 2009 Author Report Posted March 20, 2009 Sorry Henk-Jan but that is no mei, it is a quote of some kind.. I wish someone could translation the quote of some kind Best Regards John. Quote
Nobody Posted March 20, 2009 Report Posted March 20, 2009 but that is no mei, it is a quote of some kind.. I wish someone could translation the quote of some kind Didn't you read the 2nd and the 3rd posts in this thread? (濃州住志津三郎兼氏之鍛 - Shizu Saburô Kaneuji, resident of Mino province, forged this.) Quote
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