Gimei with date......

[Lindus]

Comment recently made that due to harsh laws in Japan {early days} few swords with false signature were dated. Probably not so true as stealing anything could bring about death in various unpleasant forms {list pleasant forms }, would though be interested if a grain of truth exists in this.

Roy

[runagmc]

If a person was going to forge a false signature, I don't see why adding a false date would be much of an extra risk...

[cabowen]

I have seen a zillion faked signatures with faked dates....Especially shinshinto.....

[DirkO]

Wouldn't it be logical/easiest to fake the "default" mei of a smith? The more you add to the mei (date, steel used, what have you) the easier it will be to spot the fake? Off course if the default mei of a smith would include a date, you'd obviously also want that on a gimei.

[Brian]

I wonder if it didn't have anything to do with the fact that it you faked a name, you could always claim it was the name of some long lost past unknown or some other smith. But if you dated it..you were less likely to get away with saying it was some other smith, as you had narrowed it down to only one or 2 working during that time. Just a theory, which depends on whether faking mei was ever an illegal or frowned upon act..

 

Brian