Would like to read signature on old Japanese sword

Shinryû,

Many thanks.

Do we have any idea who this smith was or when this might have been made?

N2S
 
I can't help much with those specifics...sorry.

However, I can discern from the picture that that particular blade needs a full repolish from a real polisher and shirasaya. But I think that's not difficult for many to see
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Shinryû.
 
Robert,

The blade was heavily waxed in the picture, but I doubt that anyone has maintained it for several decades. However, I really do not want to do anything to it until I find out what it is. If it has significant age it may be best to leave it as an artifact.

Off to do some research...

N2S
 
Actually no, if it's old which the rust somewhat indicates, you want to have it repolished properly. Unless you can't afford it, you SHOULD get it repolished. But that's not cheap.

You also want to take wax/grease off the blade, keep it oiled properly and away from excessive moisture. Take care of the thing if nobody else is going to, or sell it to someone who will.

Shinryû.
 
Kanenori seems to be a school of smith dating from around 1573. So this thing might date back anywhere from 1990 to 1573. Well at least that narrows it down a little
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Origins of the school:
http://www.sho-shin.com/hoku18.htmKANENORI

I wonder if related to this guy:


(2) TEN-SHO (t: SEKI KANENORI, br: SHINPACHI KANENORI):
MINO KANENORI transferred to ECHIGO in the TEN-MON era.
Then accompanied NOBUNAGA's siege of the ASAKURA at
ICHIJO-ga-DANI, from whence his signature:
ICHIJO-ga-DANI JU.
ICHIJO-ga-DANI was the ASAKURA castle of the above
NORIKAGE and handed now to ASAKURA YOSHIKAGE, who had
defied the call against the sitting ASHIKAGA SHOGUN,
YO****ERU by his brother, YOSHIAKI. NOBUNAGA successfully
accepted the task, and afterwards obliged YOSHIKAGE's
appearance to the KYOTO capitol. YOSHIKAGE refused.
Joining with the ASAI, a stand was made and finally
broken on the banks of the ANE-GAWA River. The
intervention of Emperor OGIMACHI gave a temporary
reprieve, but YOSHIKAGE was destined for SEPPUKU in his
family's hall, ICHIJO-ga-DANI Castle, TEN-SHO 1573.
ECHIZEN was given to ODA's vassal, SHIBATA KATSUIYE, but
KANENORI and his following smith line would continue in
ECHIZEN into the SHINTO - spreading to ETCHU, KAGA and
ECHIGO.
He held to his teachers' (MINO KANENORI) SANAMI style,
from MINO NARA KANENAGA: Standing SHIRA-KE ITAME with
MASAME HADA and YAKIBA of KO-NIE GUNOME-MIDARE on NIOI
sweep. MIDARE-BOSHI to JIZO or TOGARI-KAERI.
MEI: ECHIZEN ICHIJO JU KANENORI
ECHIZEN-no-KUNI JU KANENORI
ECHIZEN-no-KUNI JUNIN KANENORI
ECHIZEN ICHIJO-ga-DANI JU KANENORI


 
not2sharp:

I strongly suggest you learn some of the basics about Japanese blades before thinking you can find out much about your blade by yourself. I'll dig around and ask some questions and see what I can find, but there is relatively little detail to go by, just the few pics you provided, which don't show much.

Shinryû.
 
Robert,

My last post was pretty much intended as tongue-in-cheek.

I know that collecting Japanese swords is one of the richest and most complicated areas in our hobby. I am also aware that the signature, and other markings, on the blade is at best a starting point, since many signatures have been faked or misrepresented throughout the historical record. Never the less, it looks like this little sword may be fun to research, and it will give me an excuse to run through some of my books on Japanese swords.

Once again, many thanks for your help. If anyone would like to see additional photos just drop me a note.

N2S

 
It looks like a koto Kanenori to me..... by seeing the nakago patina and the way the mei was chiseled.

Is it a shobu-zukuri piece? It seems from my monitor that it is a shobu ko-wakizashi. It's hard to judge but seems to have quite coarse grain.....
What is the style of the boshi?

The smith in 1504 has one of the mei exactly read like this and his favourite boshi is Jizo

Joe
 
Joe,

I am a novice with Japanese swords, however, I will try to answer your questions.

If by shobu-zukuri you mean a blade where the spine runs all the way to the point then it does not. To me it looks more like an Unokubi-zukuri, but I don't know enough to say for sure. The spine is high back - mune-takashi, if that helps.

I am adding some better picture below, which I believe will show the Boshi a little better.

Boshi (the Jizo Boshi shows well in the second Picture):

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49254978

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49270385

Here are some more pictures of the Blade temper line from front to back along the left side:

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49254977

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49254976

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49254975

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49254974

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49270395

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=639242&a=4662401&p=49270390

The blade is holding up well and is currently in the same condition as when I originally found it. It needs to be mounted and polished. I am trying to get some indication on whether it would be worth sending this for professional and traditional restoration, and mounting.

If it turns out to be a modern 20th century knockoff I will probably just send it to a local knife maker to have them put a guard and handle on it. But, I would really hate to do that if it's a respectable old blade. Which is why this has been sitting in storage for the last ten years, and may continue to sit there for another ten years.

Thanks for the input.

N2S
 
N2S,

This piece definitely worth a trip to an expert for a Kantei.....
Forget about the poorly done horimono, it just doesn't match the sword, maybe was added by the previous owner, in a poor and unconsiderate way.

The Kanenori have this mei was rated 2nd best in my reference, Book of TOSHO ZENSHU by Shimizu Osamu.

http://www.ikkyudo.com/

Cary Condell maybe able to help

Joe

P.S. Did you buy that sword in Hong Kong?



[This message has been edited by JoeL (edited 05-28-2001).]
 
Joe,

The sword turned up at an old antiques shop in South Florida. Neither the shopkeeper, nor myself, knew anything about the sword at the time, except that it was a Japanese short sword, it looked to be signed, and it had some age.

Before Ebay, alot of interesting things use to turn up down here. It's an area where alot of US and Europeans come to retire. Much of this has since dried up, and even in the best of days you still had to sort through alot of overpriced junk to find anything.

The best find so far turned up about five years ago. Someone bought a small well worn old wooden plank that had been sitting around for years for about $40. It was later tested and found to be a major 4,000 year old archeological relic associated with the altar of a principle religious site. The last I heard two major museam had each bid in excess of $300,000 for the piece.

It pays to know what you are looking at. I know the small shop where they found this, and I remember my first impression of some of this stuff when I first walked in there a couple of years before the piece was identified... at the time I though some of the junk could at best be used to build a poor campfire.
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humbly,
N2S
 
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