How to research a Mumei sword ?

[sil]

I recently purchased a katana with no signature. Being new to Nihonto study, I am interested in understanding how one goes about the task of researching the possible maker without getting it professionally assessed or papered in Japan or is this not possible. I have atached a few photos which give a reasonable view of the sword. I am happy to take more specific photos if this helps. Thus far I have reached the following conclusions:

 

1) It has civillian saya and mounts, with low - medium quality tsuba and fuchi. Leather cover fitted for war use.

2) Mumei tang shows "old" rusting. Has been shortened at some stage due to number of mekugi holes and squared off end.

3) According to Yumoto's book, it has a " billowing " temperline and looks traditionally made. Hard to see much more without giving it a good polish I suspect.

4) Leather wrapping on tsuka with a good quality menuki. Does the menuki date the sword ?

 

This where I come to a full stop ! I would be most gratefull for any advice or comments from the NMB, including advice that further research on the possible maker is best left to a Nihonto professional.

Sil L

[paulb]

Hi,

I will try and help a little.

Firstly the fittings will not help you define who made the sword. On an older sword they will have been changed several times. If they are good quality it suggests either

a) the owner valued the blade highly enough to put good fittings on it or

b) a dealer put better quality mounts on a mediocre blade to make it appear better than it was.

Not much help I know.

Regarding the blade. Key indicators are

1. Shape your blade is obviously suriage (shortenned) so try and imagine what the original shape may have been. Look at lots of references to help with this. The original shape will give you a starting point for the age.

2. Hada, there is little visible on the images but this is a key indicator to tradition and school

3. Hamon again will point you towards time and school through its shape and make up.

 

What you are trying to achieve is very challenging, especially if the blade is in less than perfect polish. It takes many years of study to attempt to identify the work of specific periods schools and smiths and even those with a great deal of experience can oftern get it wrong.

Having said that the research can be great fun and a great aid to learning if you are preapred to buy books and spwend a lot of time with them

good luck

[Stephen]

What i am sure most of the members will want to see is, blade out of saya with out habaki full shot to see the over all shape. closer pix of the kissaki and if you can get any of the hada that would help.

 

Id say sofar a very nice first buy, many first buys are showato with a stamp and they think there gold...yours is very nice. More pix please.

[sil]

Thanks for the responses thus far. I fully appreciate that it takes many years of study to accurately date a sword as well as identify its maker. I enjoy the research and back ground reading so its should be fun. It certainly helps to get guidance along the way. Its late Sunday night in Australia so it may take a day or so to get some decent shots of the whole blade. Will do my best. I will also take some measurements and post these as well.

 

Based on the photos, is it possible to roughly date the fittings (tsuba, menuki, handle wrap) ?

 

Sil L

[Henry Stewart]

Sil L

 

Sir,

A word of advice. First; Strip the sword down to the blade only; Use your undoubted talent as a photographer to take good pictures of the whole blade left and rightsided. Photos of the tang (nakago) including close up. Close up of Hamon. For the time being forget the hada., and finally close up both sides of the Kissaki (point).

That will give some of the subscribers a fighting chance about time and smith.

 

Good luck

 

Henry

[FlorianB]

Sil,

another serious advice: both the aesthetics of a Japanese blade and the decisive hints to it's maker could only be revealed in polished condition. I'm afraid, that Your blade hasn't the proper condition now to tell more than general ideas and speculations even with better photos. However, polishing is very expensive, but money is wasted if the blade turns out (in worst case) worthless.

It is not my intention to discourage You but try to get in personal contact with collectors and show this blade to someone who is experienced (REALLY experienced) and could advise You if further investments should be made. And maybe this person could tell You more about the origin, holding this blade in his hands.

FlorianB

[sil]

Finally some close up photos that are reasonable and show the level of detail requested ! I hope it might assist in shedding more light on the possible school or maker. Thanks again for all the advice.

 

Sil L

Katana Detail Photos.pdf

[Brian]

Sil,

I don't think there is much that can be deduced from the pics unfortunately. Once again, we have hadori polish without actually seeing a hamon, and the rest if fairly generic. Hopefully someone can deduce something.

 

PS - Please don't upload pics as a .pdf. Makes viewing difficult for some, and jpegs are so much easier.

Don't re-upload though, these should suffice.

 

Brian

[Curran]

Please give a lighter weight to what I say, as my sword kantei knowledge is not strong. I call myself a fittings collector that still occasionally wanders into the sword chat.

 

As the others have said, it is hard to tell much about the sword. While decent photos, they don't or can't (due to state of polish) highlight some of the things that are helpful.

 

Using non technical terms:

Going from the shape of the sword, the even thickness up through the fore part of the blade... I would say Shinto or shinshinto.

 

From what little I can see of the jigane and the rather pilar like formations in the hamon, plus some scattering of snowy nie inbetween- my first thought is that it is a mino school derivative from perhaps some time in the shinto period? Not my favorite area of study.

Perhaps something more related to this: http://www.nihonto.us/UJIFUSA%20KATANA.htm

Most of the Unifusa were of Mino origins. I am not saying it is Ujifusa school. My impression is that it is from a derivative Mino school like the Ujifusa school.

 

Let me stress this is just my 2cents. I don't know what to make of the nakago (tang) shape and marks. That might point away from a Mino derivative school. Just trying to help a bit.

[nagamaki - Franco]

I will also take some measurements and post these as well.

 

Overall length: ?; Nagasa:?; Sori: ?; Motohaba: ?; Sakihaba: ?; Motokasane: ?; Sakikasane: ?; Shape of mune: ?

[Jean]

http://www.sanmei.com/Pictures/Sword/S2 ... 4_PUP1.jpg

 

http://www.swordsofjapan.com/Hocho.htm

 

Agreed with my friend Curran, it has something related to Mino school

[sil]

When I posted this topic I was very aware that it was a difficult task but I needed some guidance as to how to approach it. I have invested in a modest nihonto library so can now continue my research. Two major findings to date are how much Nihonto knowledge I lack and how difficult it is to take good photos !

 

Once again, sincere thanks to all who have contributed to this discussion. No doubt I will be back in the near future with many more questions.

 

Sil L