NBTHK Kicho origami

[Reinier]

Hello,

 

Can someone please translate this old NBTHK Kicho origami for me?

 

I am also curious what is written in pencil on the envelop.

 

Thank you very much!

 

Reinier

[Ray Singer]

Wakizashi, mumei Yoshimitsu (賀光). 

nagasa: 1 shaku 7 sun 8 bu

 

[Bugyotsuji]

And in pencil, quick short-form note to remind the owner what paperwork is inside the envelope. “Waki Mumei (Yoshimitsu)”

[Reinier]

Thank you very much!

 

How do I know which Yoshimitsu they mean from what period?

[Bugyotsuji]

It's an unusual name with that first character.

There is some background to a mid-Edo Bizen Yoshimitsu here, but you'll need to narrow it down using the full bag of tricks. c.1740

日本刀販売・買取の銀座長州屋｜名刀鑑賞ガイド　太刀　銘　備州長舩賀光　長禄三年二月日　徳川将軍家伝来 (choshuya.co.jp)

[O koumori]

In Sesko's 'Japanese Swordsmiths,' there appear to be three generations of smiths with this mei, starting in Oei Bizen.

I have a small tanto with this mei.

Dan K

[Reinier]

I sent a photo of the origami to a Japanese retailer and he gave me the information below but without an explanation how he got to this smith.

 

Quote

備州長船賀光は盛光の弟と伝えられる、室町時代前期の寛正頃に活躍した備前の有力鍛冶です。

備州長船賀光は南北朝期の応永～文明頃まで、三代に渡り遺作が残ります

 

Bishū Osafunega Hikaru is said to be Morimitsu's younger brother, and was an influential blacksmith in Bizen who was active around the Kansho era in the early Muromachi period.

The works of Osafunegako in Bishū remain for three generations, from the Oei period to the Bunmei era during the Northern and Southern Courts period.

 

[Bugyotsuji]

He must have fed the correct kanji characters into the net somewhere, but his automatic translator has mistakenly read your 賀光 characters as 'Gahikari' and 'Gako'. 

(Same smith or smith line. No problem, just ignore.) 

[Jussi Ekholm]

I believe mumei Bizen Yoshimitsu (賀光) as an attribution would be a mid-Muromachi attribution. I have not tracked work of these Yoshimitsu smiths as the earliest dated works I remember finding have been in Kanshō (1460 - 1466), and more works after that. Of course that would depend on how long you see early Muromachi going for and when you think it is mid-Muromachi as I don't think there are exact dates.