a tough one

[Bungo]

dudes und dudettes,

here's a tough one, two mei on one tsuba. Mei not the typical Choshu/bushu easy to read ( chiselled clearly, that is ) type..............

 

have a go, much appreciated.

 

milt the ronin

[Rich T]

the kanji on the first image looks a bit like Kii something, but it's very hard to make out.

 

紀伊

 

I assume the rest would be a name. So not two smiths possibly, but something like the way severalof the Tadatoki signed with Bushu Ju Akasaka on one side and Tadatoki Saku on the the other.

 

Just a thought

 

Rich

[Bungo]

second kanji looks like " mune " or " Naga "............

 

Haven't received the thing yet, seems like there's something to the right on the other side too.............. not sure though.

 

milt the ronin

[Bungo]

second pic...........

do you see the first two kanji as " Myochin " ?

Can anyone " enhance " the pic ? trickie, do your magic ?

 

milt the ronin

[Nobody]

By guesswork;

 

Is that "Myochin Shikibu (明珍式部), Ki (no) Munesuke (紀宗介)"?

[Bungo]

thanks............Nobody san.

Certainly a good place to start, now where's my kinko meikan ?

 

 

milt the ronin

[Bungo]

just received this tsuba, there is writing on the right side but very faint.

 

I think I see three kanji with meaning like " 5 ? or masa ( like pure) ? iron

forged "............

 

May be Trickie Turner can jazz up the pic ?

 

 

milt the ronin

[Nobody]

just received this tsuba, there is writing on the right side but very faint.

 

I think I see three kanji with meaning like " 5 ? or masa ( like pure) ? iron

forged "............

 

May be Trickie Turner can jazz up the pic ?

 

 

milt the ronin

I had realized the faint writing on the photo. It could be "五鉄錬". I heard Myochin usually wrote 神道五鉄錬 on his works.

[Bungo]

merci !! Nobody san, that's what it looks like !!!!!!!!!!

 

the flat surface shows tremendous whirlings of the iron, quite dirty with old wax or whatnots.......... needs some work to clean it all up.

 

milt the ronin

[Bungo]

I checked the kodogu book and can't find any smith under the name Shikibu but under Myochin, I think I hit paydirt !!

All the "mei" on my tsuba appear under the "Myochin " entry.........started in Kamakura period, 1100'ish, well known for armour, iron works.They gave the founder's name, then 22 generations later (Eiroku period ), the mei on my tsuba appears...............etc.etc.

 

can only interpret bits and parts of it..............need help from someone fluent in Nihongo.

the text pic is located at..........

http://www.esnips.com/web/tsuba?docsPage=1#files

 

 

milt the ronin

[Nobody]

can only interpret bits and parts of it..............need help from someone fluent in Nihongo.

the text pic is located at..........

http://www.esnips.com/web/tsuba?docsPage=1#files

I am fluent in Nihongo without doubt. :D

But surely NOT fluent in Eigo.

 

Myochin (明珍)

A school name of armor makers, Kamakura period – Bakumatsu, Made Kacchu (甲冑), Gusoku (具足), iron products, tsuba, etc.

According to the genealogy of Myochin family, “Izumo (no) kami Ki (no) Munesuke (出雲守紀宗介)†in Kenkyu era (建久: 1190-1199) of Kamakura period was the 1st generation and the lineage continued to “Shikibu Ki (no) Munesuke (式部紀宗介)†22nd generation (ca. Genroku (元禄)), although the matter cannot be believed. Even only about tsuba making, there were many makers who professed themselves Ki clan (紀氏) and chiseled individual mei as “Mune+something (宗某)â€. A mei of “tenka ichi Myochin saku (天下一明珍作)†is known on a iron bit with Gyoyo-mon (杏葉文) which was designated as a Juyo-bijutsuhin (重要美術品) in 1939. And works with two letters mei “Myochin (明珍)†are known as iron ornaments, bits, tsuba, and so on in late Edo period.

[Bungo]

thanks...........

 

 

milt the ronin