Warrior stamp, Yoshisuke, Yoshichika

[mecox]

@Bruce Pennington @Mark C @Kiipu  I found this quite interesting on follow up of Shimada Yoshisuke (島田義助)  and Yoshioka Yoshichika (吉岡 吉近)  both registered Seki swordsmiths  but not in the 1942 Kurihara banzuke lists. 

The unusual "Warrior"/ horse head stamp is on fairly well made gunto (shingunto and kaigunto) signed but not dated, and no other stamps.  The work on the blades and koshirae suggests earlier war (e.g. 1942).   Close look at Mark's shows tsuba and seppa have the logo stamp of Nakano Shoten a shop/workshop in Tokyo that sold koshirae but also sold/made medals, badges & uniforms. Logo below from Chris Bowen in Bruce's stamp study.  So possibly they supplied blades to the shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

It's certainly something to keep an eye out for.  I don't currently see any other gunto of these two with the Nakano fittings, although many who post about a mei don't show the fittings.  So, there are possibly more out there, but just not shown.  I know in the case of the AOI Art Yoshisuke, the kaigunto fittings only have an "ichi" stamp on them (no sakura, just the Japanese "1").

 

Something about the Warrior stamp I've been thinking - As with all hotstamps (kokuin), I have found that smiths who use a kokuin, never use them all the time.  There are some smiths that seem to use them slightly more frequently and some (one recently found) that has only one time used a kokuin (to our observations, at least).  So, it is a mytery to me why smiths used them sometimes but not others.  This may be the case for these Warrior stamps.

 

In comparison, the smiths that adopted a kakihan (inscribed kao) they almost always used them, not always, but almost.

[Mark C]

Really interesting.

 

I had forgot all about searching the 1942 Kurihara banzuke list 

 

I did a quick search on Nakano shoten shop/workshop and found this:

 

[Bruce Pennington]

19 hours ago, Mark C said:

found this:

Mark,

For those of us that can't read Japanese, can you fill us in on what that is?

[mecox]

@Bruce Pennington  this website has translations and info "Medals of Asia"  (I cant post the link)

 

Actually this gets a bit confusing as Nick Komiya says it is read as "Yamayo".

Naval parade saber.... (warrelics.eu)

[Mark C]

Hi Bruce,

 

Translation are under the pictures and they are labels and things produced at the Nakano shoten shop/workshop. (Possibly the workshop of the stamp on the seppa and tsuba above)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kiipu]

On 10/5/2024 at 11:11 PM, mecox said:

The unusual "Warrior"/ horse head stamp is on fairly well made gunto ....

 

Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but it does not look like a horse head to me.  Looks more like a Roman helmet.  Boy am I in hot water now!

[mecox]

Maybe Thomas has a point.......artistic licence

 

 

 

[Kiipu]

It is the words underneath that prompted the rethink.  Not sure how a horse is associated with a warrior.  Of note, the bottom of WARRIOR is flat while the top is bowed in.

[Bruce Pennington]

I see the helmet, now.  But what I really see is a Pac Man with a Mohawk.

[Mark C]

Love that Bruce, Pac Man with a mohawk, great description.

 

I also notice how the three stamp examples above are all different in small ways?

 

Regards