Help with Mei and Nengo on Tanto.

[tbonesullivan]

I've been staring at this one for a week or two.

 

The Mei, as far as I can tell, begins with 次 TSUGU and ends with 勝 KATSU, but the characters in between don't look to be ones usually used on tangs, or they just aren't the forms I am used to seeing.

 

The Nengo looks to be  安 政  ?  年 二 月, for the AN-SEI era, which is 1854 - 1860, however the character after the era name that should be a numeral is not one I recognize.

 

I'll try to get full blade pics when my phone isn't hating me.

 

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Ray Singer]

Jiro Taro Naokatsu - 次郎太郎直勝.

[lonely panet]

send a pic of the blade, wasnt naokatsu a student of a famous smith

[Ray Singer]

Student of Naotane. 

[SteveM]

Should be an interesting blade. I think the year is 五 (5), but written in a slightly unusual way. Here is another Naokatsu sword with an Ansei 5 date, using a similar 五 on it.

 

https://www.tsuruginoya.com/mn1_3/a00228.html

 

 

 

 

[tbonesullivan]

Well, it is smaller than I expected. Blade length is 15.4cm, and I think KAIKEN is a better term for it than a tango. I was definitely expecting it to be a bit larger, but it's still very nice. Hamon is SUGUHA, and it's a typical HIRA ZUKURI shape.

 

 

[Peter Bleed]

this view also makes the 5 seem more - ahhh - normal.

P

[ROKUJURO]

If it is good quality, size does not matter so much.....

[WillFalstaff]

Could this have been and up-the-sleeve dagger for women? The aikuchi mounting and the blade size leads me to this. 

Also, the nakago seems to end abruptly. Is that normal for a wee implement such as this?

[tbonesullivan]

  On 4/8/2022 at 11:00 PM, WillFalstaff said:

Could this have been and up-the-sleeve dagger for women? The aikuchi mounting and the blade size leads me to this. 

Also, the nakago seems to end abruptly. Is that normal for a wee implement such as this?

Expand  

Definitely possible. No idea about the tang unfortunately. I've never handled one of these before.