1943 (Morishita Uju)

[Brian]

Hi all,

I assisting someone with some translations, and with little free time, I could use some help.

Appears to me to be 1943 dated, and by XX Toshi? Anyone got any more info? The mei appears clumsy to me..but on a probable Showato?

 

Thanks,

Brian

[cabowen]

April, 1943

 

Looks like "Uji" 宇寿 ??? No listing in the meikan...

 

Very clumsy signature. No stamps, may be a gendaito. Needs picts of the blade to tell...

[Grey Doffin]

I think Moritoshi.

Grey

[cabowen]

I think Moritoshi.

Grey

 

 

Here's a comparison:

 

宇

 

守

 

The kanji in the mei has two cross strokes and no "dot" to the left of the vertical....I don't think mori works...

[Basho12]

FWIW, I agree on the second kanji, probably "Toshi." The first is harder. If it's Mori it's got a stroke where one doesn't belong and one missing where there should be. It would almost fit "Mune" better, but then there are two strokes missing. Not well cut, either way. I'm curious what others think.

[k morita]

Hi,

Yes,date is April ,1943.

Mei is Uju (Wuju) , he was Morishita(surename) Uju in Yokohama.

Rare sword ! :D :D

[outlier48]

Morita-san,

 

Do you have an oshigata for this smith? If so, does it compare well with the mei in the photo?

 

Charlie Brashear

[cabowen]

He was a teacher at a school in Kanagawa Prefecture....Morita san is right, rare sword as he didn't make many. That is why the signature is a bit clumsy. I have seen one of his swords and it wasn't bad. If I remember correctly he studied a bit under Miyaguchi Yasuhiro (Toshihiro).

 

edited: teacher, not professor...

[george trotter]

Uju is listed in Toko Taikan p.21 and a postwar? tanto oshigata is given using the name U-no_Kichi...but the yasuri are the same.

Hawley gives him as U-23 Uju 1926 Kanagawa 2 character mei and then again as a different smith U-24 Unoyoshi 1954 Kanagawa with the same long mei that appears on TK 21 oshi.

There is no doubt these two are the same man. Name is Morishita U-no-kichi. B. Meiji 16 studied under Miyaguchi Ikkansai Toshihiro. Lived Yokohama Kanagawa. Ko itame, suguba. He is highly thought of.

 

How about blade pics?

Regards,

Geo.

[k morita]

That is why the signature is a bit clumsy.

Hi,

I agree with you.

Here is 4 oshigata of his tanto and swords.

[Grey Doffin]

The mei in the 4 oshigata aren't clumsy and Brian's sword has a clumsily cut mei. Could Brian's be gimei?

Grey

[cabowen]

The four oshigata shown are all blades submitted for contests/exhibitions. My guess is that the mei on these were cut for him-surely the far left example. The sword the op posted was probably cut by the smith himself.

 

Very very little chance this is a gimei.

 

As can be seen in the oshigata Morita san posted from Nihon to oyobi Nihon Shumi, the smith was a teacher (kyoyu (教諭)) at Kanagawa Ken Ritsu Kogyo Gako (神奈川県立工業学校)(Kanagawa Prefectural Industrial School), which is a kind of trade school.....

[Brian]

Thanks guys, great work as always. I am awaiting some pics of the blade. The owner has a few swords he is looking for identification on.

I have no idea how to value a sword like this. Good Gendaito level?

 

Brian

[Brian]

Some blade pics supplied by the owner.

 

Brian

[Bruno]

Any photos of the tsuka?

[Stu W]

Anyone have anything more to add now that additional photos have been provided? Gendaito?

 

Regards,

Stu

[cabowen]

Gendaito.

[Stu W]

Thank you.

 

Regards,

Stu