Koto(?) katana gimei Muneshige? ….help please

[Matsunoki]

As usual I do not have the  necessary knowledge to form a convincing opinion on this katana so I come to the amazing expertise on this forum for help. I thank you for looking. All opinions very welcome…good or bad!

I should at least “have a go” so with no confidence I would say gimei (I’m always suspicious of 2 kanji signatures) but maybe Mino muromachi with a few added confusions! 
ln hand it is graceful and light with excellent balance. It has Futasuji hi. One or two “small black spots” but doesn’t seem “tired”. 
the nakago colour is much blacker than shown in images
Dimensions-

nagasa 69.3cm (86.5 overall) Ubu

motohaba 3.17 cm (noticeable fumbari in area above the habaki)

sakihaba 2.00 cm

nakago kasane 7.96 mm

mune kasane 4.55mm

motokasane 7.18 mm (ie high shinogi)

sakikasane 4.81mm

sori 2.8cm slightly koshisori

Hada is indistinct in old polish but masame visible in some areas just above hamon. Maybe a ghost of itame elsewhere.

Hamon is wild gunome midare with tobiyaki, a few yo and what I would call “crab claws” with much konie. 

Boshi is a simpler gunome continuation . The kissaki tip was chipped by the ********** carriers when they unpacked it to have a look and then mishandled it….before taking no care to repack it properly. Bless them.

Thank you in anticipation. 
 

 

 

[Matsunoki]

[Apercus]

Beautiful work. You will get a lot of opinion but you won’t get a lot of certainty without shinsa. The logical step would be to submit it then decide about polish when you know the results. I would probably send it for polish whether it was economical to do so or not just because I like it. 

[Shugyosha]

Yep, a lovely sword. There’s a number of smiths signing Muneshige in the Koto period but not much available on line.
 

https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths?page=108

 

Don’t be quick to write it off as gimei. I’d go with Shannon’s suggestion: shinsa then take a view on whether it’s worth a polish. 

[Matsunoki]

20 hours ago, Apercus said:

Beautiful work. You will get a lot of opinion but you won’t get a lot of certainty without shinsa. The logical step would be to submit it then decide about polish when you know the results. I would probably send it for polish whether it was economical to do so or not just because I like it. 

 

19 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Yep, a lovely sword. There’s a number of smiths signing Muneshige in the Koto period but not much available on line.
 

https://nihontoclub.com/view/smiths?page=108

 

Don’t be quick to write it off as gimei. I’d go with Shannon’s suggestion: shinsa then take a view on whether it’s worth a polish. 

Shannon, John, Thanks for comments. I agree totally. Trouble is, stuck here in the Nihonto wastelands of the UK there is close to zero chance of getting it to a Japanese shinsa nor to an overseas togishi. We are having terrible trouble with postage/carriers over here. Even if I could get it to Japan there is no guarantee our Border Force/ Customs would let it back in again. Some collectors have had swords confiscated/seized……its a real nightmare. 

I am on the 2 year waiting list for the most respected UK togishi…..

Its very very frustrating……especially as most swords discovered in UK need full restoration due to neglect or being used to cut the hedges with!

The best I can hope for is to get the expertise on this forum to help……I can’t read Japanese and you can only learn so much from the few books in English.

Thanks again. All the best. Colin

 

[paulb]

 

Colin,

As a fellow resident in what you call "the wastelands of the UK" I think you  need to try and make contact with more fellow enthusiasts in the UK of which there are a good number, many of whom are active within the Token Society of GB and equally many willing to offer help. It is true there have been and continue to be issues with transport (not just in the UK but everywhere in Europe) at present and there have been some episodes publicised here of problems with customs. However this is not the case generally. Many collectors in the UK import pieces and arranged for item to go to Japan who have not experienced the difficulties that have been discussed here. 

Can I suggest you consider joining the Token Society of GB if you haven't already and try and attend one of their regional meetings. We are trying to spread them across the country so those living more remotely have the chance of meeting. I think one visit to such a meeting would reassure you that the study of Nihon-To is alive and well in the UK and there are many good swords not being used for hedge cutting.

[Shugyosha]

Hi Colin,

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were in the USA - I’m in the UK too. I was about to plug the To-Ken society but Paul got there first. 
 

Not sure which bit of East Anglia you’re in but I’m in north Leics. I’d be happy to meet up if I’m not being too pushy but bringing your swords to a To-Ken society meeting would yield more information. Stunningly good value at only £20 per annum. 

[SteveM]

I think the mei looks like the two-character Muneshige mei on the sword on Tokka (see below). There are differences in the execution of the mei, which can't be ignored, but the two-character construction, the size of the characters, the placement, and the identical nakago jiri, make me think its trying to be one of the two Muneshige smiths from Aki Provice (MUN372 and MUN374).

 

Muneshige from Aki Province (two character Muneshige). (Ignore Tokka's typo of "Mumeshige"). 

https://tokka.biz/sword/muneshige4.html

 

Obviously the hamon and the sori are completely different.

 

If we look at the Muneshige smiths from the Kanbun era, however, the mei is completely different, so I feel the focus can be narrowed to these Muneshige smiths working in Aki.

 

Kanbun Muneshige (Settsu Province, signing as Mutsu-no-Kami)

http://sanmei.com/contents/media/H50927_S2097_PUP.html

 

 

[Alex A]

First glance, it reminds me of Ishido, not sayng it is though.

 

Plenty to go off there, 

 

Folk always talk about sending swords of to Shinsa, sometimes i wonder, why bother?

 

What i mean is, sometimes there is enough to work it out for yourself and avoid all the hassles, worries.

 

Nice sword!.

[Matsunoki]

2 hours ago, Shugyosha said:

Hi Colin,

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were in the USA - I’m in the UK too. I was about to plug the To-Ken society but Paul got there first. 
 

Not sure which bit of East Anglia you’re in but I’m in north Leics. I’d be happy to meet up if I’m not being too pushy but bringing your swords to a To-Ken society meeting would yield more information. Stunningly good value at only £20 per annum. 

PM sent. Thanks.

[Matsunoki]

2 hours ago, paulb said:

Can I suggest you consider joining the Token Society of GB

 Thanks Paul. PM sent.