Help needed with the translation of this mei.

[b.hennick]

This sword has more than just a mei on the nakago. All help will be appreciated.

[moriarty]

Greetings Hennick, 

 

From the left line, top to bottom: (三つ胴切落断-XX-九兵-XX)-- Cut through three bodies... 

 

Right line seems to be a zodiac year, month, and day:

(承應光-X-土辰十二月-X-ハ日挂-XX-土-X)-- Jōō {1652} Earth Dragon(Zodiac Branch) ...December 12th?) 

 

Mayble I'll come back and tackle this wonderful mei later, thanks for posting such an interesting piece! 

[Bruce Pennington]

[SteveM]

I think

 

承應元年壬辰十二月拾八日梅津於尼崎
三つ胴切落物集女九兵衛（花押）

 

Spoiler

Shō’ō 1 (1652) dragon, December 18th. August, in Amagasaki, Mozume Kyūbei cut through three bodies (monogram).

 

 

[SteveM]

Shō'ō = Jō'ō (with or without diacritical marks...both are the same, and I think both are acceptable pronunciations). 

[Bruce Pennington]

8 minutes ago, SteveM said:

December 18th. August,

It actually says both December and August?

 

Also, if you don't mind, I've seen this marking on a couple of cutter mei.  Can you tell me what it means (I think I've asked that before, but too much water under that bridge!)

[SteveM]

One could be the date of the test, and the other the date the inscription was added. Unsure. (my reading of 梅津 could be incorrect as well, or the reading could be correct, but the interpretation of "August" "February" could be incorrect"). 梅津 is a poetic name for August February, but... it is a bit rare. 

 

Edit: Oops, correction, 梅津 is a poetic name for February. 

I'll leave the spoiler as is (with the error untouched)

 

Edit #2: Had to fix a typo in a name.

 

I should also add that the name of the cutter is not included in Guido Schiller's list of known cutters. Unknown, or known at the time, but just rare to see on swords.... who knows. I should keep track of these "unknown" cutters (who have very confident signatures) and create an appendix to Guido's list. 

[b.hennick]

Thank you to all who have contributed so far. I appreciate your efforts. Please keep at it.

[Bruce Pennington]

3 minutes ago, SteveM said:

. 梅津 is a poetic name for August, but... it is a bit rare. 

Thanks Steve!  What about that kanji I circled?

[SteveM]

I'm sure that's a monogram (kaō) and so it would be unique to the author. It's hard to tell what kanji the author stylized it from. Usually the kaō is made from a part, or parts, of the family name, but could be some variation of 正 (true, correct) or 眞 (also true, truth, sincere). 

[Bruce Pennington]

4 minutes ago, SteveM said:

variation of 正 (true, correct) or 眞 (also true, truth, sincere). 

Maybe like our "Certified" marks and labels, today.  Nagahisa used it on his too, slightly different version of it, though:

[moriarty]

40 minutes ago, SteveM said:

One could be the date of the test, and the other the date the inscription was added. Unsure. (my reading of 梅津 could be incorrect as well, or the reading could be correct, but the interpretation of "August" "February" could be incorrect"). 梅津 is a poetic name for August February, but... it is a bit rare. 

 

Edit: Oops, correction, 梅津 is a poetic name for February. 

I'll leave the spoiler as is (with the error untouched)

 

I should also add that the name of the cutter is not included in Guido Schiller's list of known cutters. Unknown, or known at the time, but just rare to see on swords.... who knows. I should keep track of these "unknown" cutters (who have very confident signatures) and create an appendix to Guido's list. 

I would be very interested in such a list, Although these low-profile test cutters pop up rarely, it's a fun rabbithole to sink into. Great work on the translation! 

[b.hennick]

Thanks for your continuing efforts. They are much appreciated. I hope that this summarizes where we are at currently:

From the left line, top to bottom: 三つ胴切落物集女九兵衛（花押) Cut through three bodies... 

 

Right line seems to be a zodiac year, month, and day: 承應元年壬辰十二月拾八日梅津於尼崎

Shō’ō/Jō'ō 1 (1652) Dragon (Zodiac Branch) February (poetic name for month)

[SteveM]

The cut was made at Amagasaki (a city in present-day Hyōgo prefecture) in February (presumably 1652), and the sword was inscribed with the cutting test results on December 18th, of the same year. The cutter was Mozume Kyūbei. 

[b.hennick]

Thank you for the clarification, Steve. 

[PNSSHOGUN]

Barry, we must see the rest of the sword! 

[k morita]

9 hours ago, SteveM said:

I think

 

承應元年壬辰十二月拾八日梅津於尼崎
三つ胴切落物集女九兵衛（花押）

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Shō’ō 1 (1652) dragon, December 18th. August, in Amagasaki, Mozume Kyūbei cut through three bodies (monogram).

 

 

Hi,

 

It is Se'ttsu 摂津　,not Umetsu 梅津,

[SteveM]

OK - Thank you! That makes it simpler; the cut was performed in Amagasaki in Settsu province, on Dec 18th, Shō-ō 1 (1652), by Mozume Kyūbei.