Kunishige Mei with different writing style

[Okan]

Hi, 

 

This is a difficult situation..I'm attaching two pictures of two Hirado Kunishige mei...second one has a different writing style of 平 . I've been trying to find another one with same style but couldn't. Usually I would say Gimei but workmanship is so good..maybe a student? What might be the situation here?

[SteveM]

Hello Okan - I looked online but couldn't find any similar style of signing. 

If you lived in Japan it would be a no-brainer to send it off to shinsa. Is it worth doing it from overseas? Kind of a toss-up. If the sword is a mid-to-high level piece, I might feel slightly more encouraged to send it off. If its an average or low-end sword, I might just enjoy it for what it is now.  

[Brian]

Love these fittings. Especially the attempt at Western writing. Not sure what they were copying...Aspersia?
Anyways, an interesting set.

[Okan]

12 hours ago, Brian said:

Love these fittings. Especially the attempt at Western writing. Not sure what they were copying...Aspersia?
Anyways, an interesting set.

 

Well I've been wondering what it can be but I think it gibberish. Kunishige was in Hirado which was a port city open for Dutch and Chinese...so he was probably influenced from them hence most of his work have either latin letters or dragons..or both...So he probably found a Latin book and tried to copy the letters..Attaching a pic of tsuba which might be a set.

 

 

 

 

[Okan]

16 hours ago, SteveM said:

Hello Okan - I looked online but couldn't find any similar style of signing. 

If you lived in Japan it would be a no-brainer to send it off to shinsa. Is it worth doing it from overseas? Kind of a toss-up. If the sword is a mid-to-high level piece, I might feel slightly more encouraged to send it off. If its an average or low-end sword, I might just enjoy it for what it is now.  

Thank you Steve. Sword is mid-to-high so like you've said it might be a good idea to send it. I'll look into it thanks a lot.