Help with Date Please.

[wakiboy]

Hi All 

I’m in need of some help again..

I’m losing sleep over this one, normally I have no trouble with dates but this one is proving difficult… I get (Keio) then I’m stuck,

Also does anyone  have any idea what the Four Characters are just below the Habaki….

Many thanks 

Ian

 

[tbonesullivan]

The last kanji I think is 中 which means "middle" or "central", so maybe the middle of the year? 

 

I assume that the two kanji before that are Zodiac markings, but I don't recognize the first one, unless that is 火, for Fire, though that is not the usual character used in the zodiac dates I have seen. The second looks to be 寅 Tora / Tiger. I could be totally off however.

 

If it does read 慶應火寅, that would be for the zodiac year from 15 February 1866 to 4 February 1867.  That would fit in with the era correctly, which only lasted May 1, 1865 to October 23, 1868.

[wakiboy]

Thanks David 

I can never get my head around zodiac dates, let’s hope someone else gets it sorted..

Ian

[uwe]

“元寒中” early (beginning) cold season!

 

Regarding the four kanji above the mekugi ana I guess “義兵切物”  (kiremono gihei)…no warranty!

[k morita]

慶應元 寒中　(In the cold season of the first year of the Keio period.) (1865)

[mywei]

Could be 切物　義之　i.e carving done by Yoshiyuki

 

Are there any bohi/soebi etc on the blade?

[wakiboy]

Thank you all for your replies, they are off great help..

Ian

[tbonesullivan]

18 hours ago, wakiboy said:

Thanks David 

I can never get my head around zodiac dates, let’s hope someone else gets it sorted..

Ian

Yeah, well I also got it wrong. I haven't seen 元 used for "first year" before, and I haven't seen winter referred to in that way before. Of course I've only dealt with maybe a handful of zodiac dated swords, and they were almost always Showa era blades.