Translation Assistance Please For A Strange Signature

[Bazza]

I have a katanamei to translate that baffles me.  I've searched Nelson until I'm (almost) red in the face and worked through Hawley's pages of swordsmith kanji, to no avail.  The first character looks like TANI  谷, but isn't quite.  The second kanji looks like SAKI 先, but isn't quite.  If I run with a variant interpretation of the smith's name as TANISAKI there is no such smith to be found. 

 

The blade is 59.0 cm long with numerous forging flaws and blisters.  It has a slightly undulating suguba hamon that fades toward the hamachi.  The hamon has two distinct features - (1) in the middle of the blade on each side is a single gunome peak, (2) the hamon has a sharp rise toward the yokote forming a near ichimai boshi - this a feature I have rarely seen on any sword.

 

This is clearly no art sword and seemingly scarcely worth the research time - but it is signed and there is the challenge!!  By the nakago jiri this looks like an old Kaga sword, possibly a Sue Koto kazuuchimono.  I would be grateful for any opinions.

 

Best regards,

BaZZa.

 

 

    

[John A Stuart]

Tanisaki seems correct though. 谷先 John

[uwe]

I would suggest "Yukimitsu".

[Grey Doffin]

How about we split the difference and go with Yukisaki?  Hawleys has one listed as working in Satsuma in early 19th century.  The mei is given as Naminohira Yukisaki.

Grey

[george trotter]

Hi Baz,

It blooks like Yukimitsu to me...but I am not an expert. I also looked at the nakago...particularly the nakago-jiri shape. I always view that shape as Kaga work, e.g. dozens of Kiyomitsu of Kaga, ...and there is also a Kiyomitsu of Etchu with the same nakago-jiri. So, I was not surprised when looking up Fujishiro Shinto-hen p.410-411 to see if there was a Yukimitsu of Kaga (because of the nakago shape) to find this smith mei attached below. Fujishiro gives him as of Kashu and Etchu, so just right..

 

He is listed in Hawley 1981 p.1024 as YUK 249 as being of Kanbun era and is listed as working in Etchu and Kaga. Hawley also lists him as being of the Fujishima group and that his work is itame and suguba.

 

While the strokes of Yukimitsu do not match yours exactly, there are some slight similarities. We can't speculate, but having a Kashu-Etchu name and nakago shape it might be a smith to follow up on?...maybe his early/late mei, maybe his student/son etc. etc.

 

Nihonto Meikan  p.1117 also lists him for Kaga, and gives a second Yukimitsu for Kaga but says this "second" Yukimitsu is "said to be" the same man...so two possible Yukimitsu mei variations for Kashu.

 

Meikan also lists the other kanji given above as saki, but gives it as also being read "mitsu"...so this second "mitsu" may be the second Yukimitsu?

 

Hope I am not making things harder...

[John A Stuart]

That is very convincing. John

[Brian]

Well done George. I would also have gone straight to Kaga with that nakago.

[Bazza]

George,
How lovely to "see" you and thank you very much for your research and writeup.  John, Uwe, Grey and Brian, likewise thank you for your thoughts.  It had completely escaped me what that variant of YUKI looked like!!  Now, I’m reasonably good at seeing variants, but I have never seen a MITSU where the two left/right strokes look like a single stroke.  That threw me.  I’m grateful to everyone who commented, especially George whom we all know is quite an expert, especially in research, despite his modesty!!
Having mulled over your thoughts and considering the literature I put this sword firmly in the late Kotô Kaga camp, possibly a nijimei of one of either the Fujishima Yukimitsu group or the Kashû Yukimitsu group and a kazuuchimono at that.
Why I think this is not an earlier or a Kanbun Shintô Etchû work is because of the very poor quality.  Oh, and because every decent listed Yukimitsu has a nagamei with not a nijimei to be seen.  As I said, this is no art sword and I offer the these photos of kizu to underscore my conclusion of Sue Kotô Kaga.  Hardly a sword to follow up on further, methinks.

Again, thank you all for helping.

Best regards,
BaZZa.

 

     

[george trotter]

Hi Baz,

Nice to hear from you too....I've been busy for a long time writing/publishing a totally non-nihonto book, so am only now "sort of" getting time to re-engage in NMB stuff.

Yes, as Brian says, the nakago says Kaga. Since there are a possible two Yukimitsu smiths there and even a possible saki-mitsu style kanji also, I'd follow that up. Pity about the flaws.

Hope all is well...Regards,