Shugyosha

I'd back Stephen and say modern repro. On period saya that have seen any kind of use the koi guchi tend to get nicked by the edge of the blades as they pass in and out and these look pristine. Tsuba and menuki look cast - the details are blurred and F&K look like they are painted metal.

Indeed. Thanks to Uwe for posting and to John, Steve and Peter for helping me out. Something new learned! Best, John

According to Nobuo Nakahara (Facts and Fundamentals of Japanese Swords) it's also a device used by the unscrupulous (presumably of all times, not just modern) in order to make a sword seem older.

Hi Uwe, As usual a partial translation: 又四郎美高 Matashiro Yoshitaka (the smith's sumurai name?) 筥埼八幡宮神水沒造之 Hakozaki Hachiman guu...tsukuru kore. (made this at the Hakozaki Hachiman shrine....) If anyone has any ideas about how the kanji in red (god, water, drown/ sink) should read, I'd be grateful to be put out of my misery. Best, John

Hi David, Sorry, nijimei does indeed mean written with two characters. The text from Markus Sesko's book was a copy and paste. Both kanji are read "kane" - the story goes that way back in the 12th century or thereabouts, a swordsmith, the son of Tegai Kanenaga moved from Yamato province to Mino province and to mark this he swapped from this kane 包 which was and still is associated with swordsmiths from Yamato province and which was used by his father, to the other one (兼). Many wartime blades are signed by smiths using the second kanji as Mino (Seki) was an important centre for production during WW2. The two kanji sound exactly the same but they are in fact two different names - your guy used the first one so I didn't copy across the entries under the second kanji. It's not likely that he used them interchangeably, but swordsmiths do change their names and the ways in which they write their names, so it's not impossible. However, Markus's book is pretty good and would probably have mentioned the fact. I'm guessing that he most likely chose to write his name this to differentiate himself from those other smiths or maybe just because he felt some connection to the Yamato Tegai school. Best, John

Hi, sorry I can't see your real name and it feels a bit odd to use your NMB handle... I think that the era is Showa: the kanji are both quite stylised but there is a nakirishimei (cut by someone employed to carve signatures) on page 57 of Slough's Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths that looks very similar (sorry you'll have to take my word for it as I can't scan it but maybe someone else can help). As to the year, 16th year would make it 1941 so not implausible, but your guess is as good as mine with this part. You are right on the 11th month. If there is some kind of stamp on the tang, it is normally on the same side as the signature, above the mekugi ana. They aren't normally all that deep though and it could easily be rusted over. Here are details of a couple of wartime swordsmiths signing this way, I think the first one is the better bet as he sometimes signed nijimei. This is from Markus Sesko's Swordsmiths of Japan: KANENAGA (包永), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Gifu – “Nōshū Seki no jū Kanenaga kore o saku” (濃州関之住包永作之), “Kanenaga” (包永), real name Amachi Ginjirō (天地銀次郎), older brother of Amachi Suzuichi (天地鈴市), he was born on the fourth day of the ninth month Meiji 17 (1884) and died March 8th 1958, he worked as guntō smith, posthumous Buddhist name Enkaku Chikyō (円覚智鏡) KANENAGA (包永), Shōwa (昭和, 1926-1989), Nara – “Kikuichi Monju Shirō Kanenaga” (菊一文珠四郎包永), “Kikuichi Monju saku” (菊一文珠作) Kind regards, John

If it helps, there is an article here from Danny Massey's website on the mei of Oya Kunisada and Inoue Shinkai: http://www.nihontocraft.com/Izumi_no_Kami_Kunisada_mei.html

Here's a bit more but it deals mainly with details about the blade rather than who made it. 脇下落平地の裁断銘が添銘されており、茎の元孔は「和泉」の上の目釘孔が元孔であり、拵に合わせて目釘孔は二つとなっておりますが、茎尻が僅かに摘ままれた程度であり 焼刃は刃区より始まりほぼ産茎に近い状態となっています。 This second paragraph loses me, but the bit I can make out refers to the conidition of the nakago. It talks about the saidan mei (I think SteveM has dealt with this elsewhere), that there is a second mekugi ana with the original one being that above the kanji for "Idzumi". There's more, but I can't make sense of it, sorry. 地鉄は小板目肌が微塵によく詰み緩みの個所は無く、匂縁くっきりとした冴え渡る中直刃が焼かれ帽子は表裏直で僅かに突上げ心となり小丸に返っています。 The jigane is ko itame hada but slightly loosely packed and [without hada in places?] , the nioi edge was clearly defined chu suguba ha but “yakikare”. The boshi is suguba on the ura and omote, slightly tsukiage with ko maru kaeri. 鎬の表面に僅かな油分の変色が見られますが、此方は拭い込みで美しく整えられるものであり、御希望であれば実費２万円にて整えさせて頂きます。 The shinogi surface is slightly discoloured by oil, but we can have this cleaned at a cost of 20,000 Yen, please let me know if you would like this. Kind regards, John

Hi Maximillian, I think I've got something sensible for most of the first part but the bit in square brackets is eluding me: 本作の銘振りは子である井上真改の刻銘と異なる部分は「守」のウ冠の左側の下に延びる線が 外に開く手癖が親國貞の特徴であり、本作は典型的な初代　和泉守藤原國貞(親國貞の銘振りとなっています。 The signature of this work appears to be partly dissimilar to the carved signature of Inoue Shinkai in respect of the line that extends to the left beneath “U kanmuri” of the kanji for kami. [外に開く] This is a feature of Oya Kunisada’s hand. This work is typical first generation Idzumi Kami Fujiwara Kunisada (appears to be Oya Kunisada’s signature. I hope that helps. Best, John

I have a go at the translations to improve my own knowledge and not through a sense of altruism ;0).

What I have found with the Connoisseurs' Guide is that I don't really have a sufficient level of knowledge to get the most out of it (probably true of most of my text books). What I really like about the Kantei series is that there is a discussion of each of the blades and their characteristics and bids that were made and why they might have been made. I think what I am saying is that the information is given greater context and so is a little more user friendly for Nihonto nuls like me.

As regards the Connoisseurs' Guide, you can usually get a sample of the bit you are looking for as a Google book...

There's some information here on the swords of some of the 47 ronin. http://www.japaneseswordindex.com/ronin.htm Best, John

Hi Peter and Uwe, I'm going to back Peter on the pronunciation as (thanks to the magic of Google) it seems that there is a Takagi in Omi province... Best, John

Hi Paul, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say this so apologies to the moderators if not, but for me, most of the prices on Nihonto Antiques are on the high side. With regard to this sword in particular, from my point of view, it looks like some work has been done in the area around the habaki as it appears to me that there is an area where the patina on the tang is a lighter colour and it was partly this that made me think of machi okuri and also that the hamon appears to extend into this area. The age of the blade would make it more likely that it suffered some damage that was corrected or simply that it was modified to fit a new set of koshirae. I could be wrong though and the shape of the end of the hi might suggest that I am. I would maintain, however, that there is nothing sinister there or out of keeping with the age of the blade. I think what you have to consider is that this is a large, papered, koto blade and these factors pump up the price and it isn't going to be easy to find similar blades in the USA in order to compare it with. If this is a first purchase for you or you aren't feeling some special connection with the blade that makes it worth perhaps paying a little more for, then you might want to reconsider: naginata generally aren't as attractive to buyers as other blade forms and you might find it harder to move on in future. Also, there will always be more swords along in a minute... Best, John

Hi Andreas, No I'm not sure. Either way, nothing sinister IMHO. Best, John

It's machi okuri. The horimino would have been entirely on the blade originally but are partially on the tang now that the machi have been moved up. It's not unusual.

Hi Peter, Sorry if you know this already or it's not what you want, but if you look at Markus Sesko's compendium under the research link there is a section in there that lists the titles awarded to smiths. I think it's exhaustive. Best, John

I absolutely agree. I'm very grateful to Stephen for my tsuba and completely blown away to have won something. Wishing everyone happy collecting in 2016.

Often the British Museum and the V&A have Japanese stuff on show but the exhibits do change so it would be worth finding out what's on at any given moment before you go. Also there is the London Antique Arms Fair. It's fairly general but there are normally two or three tables with Japanese swords on them: Peter Yorke is usually there and the Token Society sometimes have a table. http://www.antiquearmsfairsltd.co.uk/

Hi James, I think that you need to discount both the mei and the date as false. For me this looks like a shinshinto blade and if you are thinking of buying it I think you need to pay a price comensurate with a mumei blade from this period. Personally it's a bit difficult to see much hada but that would tie in with a shinshinto blade. I think you need to be sure that the hamon is intact but if that is the case then, subject to the price, I don't think that it's a dead loss.

Hoanh, But it's signed and dated. It has to be genuine.

Hi Rob, Better news: It looks like there was a guy with the Kawachi Kami title signing Yukihira afterall but he subsequently changed his name to Motoyuki. The signature isn't an exact match but this could be him. MOTOYUKI (本行), 1st gen., Genroku (元禄, 1688-1704), Hizen – “Kishin Dayū Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Yukihira saku” (紀新太夫河内守源行平作), “Hinozen-shū Karatsu-jū Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Motoyuki saku” (肥之前州唐津住河内守源本行作), “Motoyuki” (本行), “Hishū Karatsu Takada Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Motoyuki” (肥州唐津高田河内守源本行), “Bungo Yukihira no sue Takada Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Motoyuki” (豊後行平末高田河内守源本行, “Takada Kawachi no Kami Minamoto Motoyuki, successor of Bungo Yukihira”), he was the son of the 1st gen Naoyuki (尚行) and was born in Kan´ei 19 (寛永, 1642), he claimed to be a successor of the kotō-Bungo smith Kishin Dayū Yukihira (紀新太夫行平), around Enpō five (延宝, 1677) he moved from Bungo-Takada to Karatsu (唐津) in Hizen province, he received the honorary title Kawachi no Daijō (河内大掾) on the 17th day of the sixth month Enpō five (1677) and changed his name thereupon Yukiharu (行春) but shortly later he took the name Yukihira (行平), later he also signed with the honorary title Kawachi no Kami but because there are no records found for a granting of this title it is speculated that he might have used it arbitrarily, he went to Kyōto in Genroku seven (1694) and received there from the Hon´ami family (本阿弥) the character for “Hon” (本, Japanese reading “Moto”), upon this he changed his name to Motoyuki, he learned the techniques of the Sōshū tradition from Tsunahiro (綱広), in his later years he returned to his home province of Bungo where he called himself Bungo Tarō (豊後太郎), tradition say that he had a long beard (hige, 髯) what earned him the nickname Hige-Kawachi (髯河内), in his later years he also signed character for “Moto” in a peculiar way that reminds of pine needles (matsuba, 松葉) (see picture right), what earned him or his later works respectively the nickname Matsuba-Motoyuki, we know date signatures from the eleventh year of Genroku (1698) to the twelfth year of Kyōhō (享保, 1727), he forged a dense ko-itame in combination with a gunome-midare, a gunome mixed with tobiyaki, or a hitatsura in ko-nie-deki with much nie and a wide nioiguchi, chūjō-saku Also in that last picture it looks like there is hada as there are some tiny delaminations that can be seen so there's a good chance that it is a genuine nihonto (there have to be laminations before you can have delaminations). If you use low lighting and a simple spot light and let the light play along the blade, hopefully you will see something like in this photo with a line of glistening nioi on or near to the edge of the hamon. From Aoi Art:

Hi Rob, The signature reads (from the blade downwards) Taka da Kawa chi Kami ? Yuki hira. I'm not sure what the kanji is immediately after "kami". I hope I'm not the bearer of bad news but the mei might be a bit dodgy: if you look in the Research link above and at Markus Sesko's Nihonto Compendium this lists titles awarded to sword smiths and Kawachi Kami doesn't appear to be a title awarded to a Yukihira. Also, the hamon does look like it has been put on with hadori but it might just be the lighting. Kind regards, John

I just wish that I'd had the foresight to buy a couple of cases of these books when they were available. I'd be laughing right now.