Torokusho translation assistance

[Okan]

Would you be so kind to help me translate this..  ..Thanks a lot! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SteveM]

A little bit unusual because in the section for "mei" it says: Ōsuriage mumei den Kanenaga (包永). Nowadays, they would leave this blank if the sword is indeed mumei. I mean, if the sword has no mei on it, there is no basis for the registration team to write anything in this column. They are just registering the details, not making any judgement on the smith.

 

So its strange to see the registration team making a notation like this, but this was over 65 years ago, so the standards and practices then may not have been as settled as they are now. (This registration card is from Shōwa 30, or 1955). 

[Okan]

16 hours ago, SteveM said:

A little bit unusual because in the section for "mei" it says: Ōsuriage mumei den Kanenaga (包永). Nowadays, they would leave this blank if the sword is indeed mumei. I mean, if the sword has no mei on it, there is no basis for the registration team to write anything in this column. They are just registering the details, not making any judgement on the smith.

 

So its strange to see the registration team making a notation like this, but this was over 65 years ago, so the standards and practices then may not have been as settled as they are now. (This registration card is from Shōwa 30, or 1955). 

 

Thank you, again, Steve! That is weird....someone was really sure this sword was Kanenage..So it was in a Nobunaga koshirae..attributed to Kanenaga..registered as Kanenaga..Papered as Shikkake after 60 years(was Shinsa right?)..I wonder for how long previous owners thought this was a Kanenaga.. Who knows..

 

 

 

[SteveM]

Bear it mind it was registered as "Unsigned. Said to be Kanenaga". That "said to be" is doing a lot of work. It is typically an appraiser's way of saying, "this sword came to me with some indication that it might from Kanenaga, but I cannot validate that claim". It is the appraiser acknowledging a previous attribution, without endorsing that attribution. It doesn't flat out reject that attribution either. There may be some features in the sword that resemble Kanenaga, and others that are very uncharacteristic of Kanenaga. In any event...we see that "said to be" on the appraisal paper and we should immediately understand it to be a step away from what a typical Kanenaga sword should look like. 

 

It happens when a famous family had an heirloom that they believed to be the work of a famous smith,: "Muramasa" for example. Maybe they had an origami from the Hon'ami family, or some other expert, that supports that view. Maybe it was just a legend handed down within their family. So, after the war, the famous, and perhaps rich and well-connected family brings their heirloom "Muramasa" to be appraised by the NBTHK, and the NBTHK immediately recognizes "Muramasa" as a problematic attribution. The sword is from the right time and place, but its lacking a certain something that a Muramasa blade usually has. So the NBTHK creates a bit of distance by saying, "Said to be Muramasa".

 

In this case Shikkake is close-ish to Kanenaga. Both are "Yamato-den" swordsmiths, so both appraisals are in the same ball park. Its not like they are wildly divergent opinions.

 

All the appraisers are looking for telltale signs, certain traits, in the sword that will give them a clue as to when it was made, where it was made, and who made it. In this case the when and the where of both appraisals are consistent. Its just the "who" that is the subject of debate. Sadly, we have no way of knowing for sure who made it, just a spectrum of guesses. NBTHK has the most experience and the most resources at their disposal, so their "guess" is currently considered the most educated guess around. But of course they could be wrong. And they could change their opinion if new evidence comes to light. 

[Okan]

Thank you very much for the detailed answer Steve. I can't help but wonder the history of it...On the sayagaki it says the sword was referenced in "Higo toso Roku" but nearly impossible to find it(at least here in the Netherlands) so I couldn't check if it was true or not..(I believe I sent you the sayagaki translation last month or so) Anyways I'll probably won't  be able to trace it back so nothing else to do but enjoy it  Thank you again!!