Help With Ura Inscription Translation

[FletchSan]

Hi All,

 

After some help with this one. I know the date is 8th month 1557 though not sure what the other inscription translates to. Any help would be appreciated.

 

thank you,

 

Ben

[Bugyotsuji]

And to do it with just that one photo? That is a bit of a harsh request!!!

[FletchSan]

Yes, not an easy one!

Here's an enhanced version, still pretty faint though.

[Bugyotsuji]

Those are much better, Ben. Thanks!

[FletchSan]

Here it is a lot easier to read transcribed on the certificate. What does this translate to?

 

I assume the squares are just the characters they couldn't read.

 

thanks,

 

Ben

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, Ben, that helps narrow it down but it hardly advances the game as some crucial characters are missing.

 

Still, I am willing to stick my neck out in a sacrifice for the greater good. Hand me another beer.

 

The top right smith name (?) two ink characters are on the other side of the tang?

 

The long name: 鈴木Suzuki 源左衛門Gen(za or u?)emon 尉Jo (Saku?) Kore, or are the last two Kanji a name, eg (Something) -yuki? Or do you think he owned/carried the blade? 携or帯?

[FletchSan]

Awesome - thanks Piers. Really appreciate that! So could be who the sword was made for?

 

The other side of the nakago is the two character mei for Kanemoto.

[Bugyotsuji]

Which character for -moto, Ben? (There were about six different characters for' moto' used by 兼 smiths.)

[FletchSan]

Yes, I can make out the 元 moto character though it is a bit hard to see through the rust.

 

兼元

[Bugyotsuji]

Excellent. Many thanks!

[SteveM]

I think Piers has it right - Suzuki Gen Saemonjō. Looking at Japanese wikipedia, there is a particular rank or bureaucratic position in feudal Japan called "saemonjō" 左衛門尉 and my guess is that this is the title of the owner. I have never heard of this position before, but in searching the internet it seems to come up from time to time on swords. 

 

It feels like there is one other kanji missing

鈴木源左衛門尉囗之

 

From the context we can assume the obliterated kanji would mean "owned by" "commissioned by" or "held by" or some other word indicating ownership. 

[FletchSan]

Thanks Steve. That's great. Would Suzuki then be the name of the owner that had that title ?

 

Cheers,

 

Ben

[SteveM]

Yes, that's my assumption.