Nobody

There is an article on the general rule of Higo koshirae at the Web site of Gifu branch of NBTHK. However, it is minutely written in Japanese, and I cannot translate it properly. http://www.h3.dion.ne.jp/~nbthk-gf/ronjyutu03-1-5.htm

I agree with you, Rich. The mei looks 関住渡辺吉武作 to me.

With my mind's eye. Hint; The family name is Watanabe (渡辺). But there are still four Watanabe(s) on the list.

BTW, the mei consits of (Seki ju) + (family name) + (smith name) + (saku).

I do not think that it is gimei. Why do you think so? http://www.geocities.jp/kanetoyo2666/ya ... igata.html

The smith was one of WWII Seki smiths. His name appears on the following list. http://home.earthlink.net/~ttstein/seki.htm

There is not anything special. Just only a company name, post, person's name, and adresses and names of his colleagues maybe.

Hi sencho san, :? Is this the shop? http://www.meitoukai.com/index.html

See the last part of the page below. http://www.nihontokanjipages.com/common_kanji.html

The other information from the text is not so special. The following translation does not include the first paragraph of the text, because it mentions only about general background of Masamune. There is a Shumei (朱銘) by Honami Kojo (本阿弥光常) on the nakago of Masamune’s style. Although the length is a little less than 2 shaku (尺), it has a good sweep with a strong sori (反り). Its jimon (地文) is mokume (杢目) mixed with itame (板目), and it has thick ji-nie (地沸) and chikei (地景). Hamon is notare and choji-midare, and it looks dynamic with thick nie and strong kinsuji/inazuma. Boshi (鋩子) on its omote side looks like kaen (火炎).

Hi, I forgot to post to this thread. On page 157-158 of the book "Masamune - a Genius and his Lineage", there is an article about the ko-dachi. And it mentions a part of its history, which is something like this. When the 5th shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi (徳川綱吉) went to Kii (紀伊) in the 4th month of 1697, he gave the sword to Tokuwaga Mitsusada (徳川光貞) of Kii Tokugawa family. The sword descends to the family since then.

Hi Doug, The Tamemei (為銘) reads as follows; Sonoda Sanemasa no tame ni kore o tsukuru (為園田實政造之 = for Sonoda Sanemasa, (I) made this.). Sonoda Sanemasa (園田實政) was the person for whom the sword was made. However, I could be wrong about the last kanji (之).

The date on the tsuba is "Keicho ju-go nen (慶長拾五年 = 1610)" as Mikolaj says.

That Tadayoshi may be the 3rd.

The mei looks Tadayoshi to me. That is "Hizen no kuni ju Tadayoshi saku (肥前國住 忠吉作)". BTW, if it means the famous Tadayoshi 1st, did he really make such a tsuba? What do tsuba experts think?

At first, I also thought of Kiri (paulownia). But Kiri does not match snow, because Kiri is a deciduous tree and it loses the leaves in winter.

According to the explanation on the ref. page; Karahana (唐花) does not mean any specific flowers but only an imaginary flower with the taste of Tang. Its original motif came from the Tang Dynasty and was already used in Nara period in Japan.

Maybe better news Cranes repressent 1,000 years and Minogame represent 10,000 years of life in the world of legend.

I was unsure about the upper part. Maybe snow as Pete says? As for the lower part, I think it is Karahana and not Sakura. Karahana; http://www.otomiya.com/kamon/kika/karahana.htm

As you might notice, there is a bird on the upper tsuba. So, the motif may be Ume and Uguisu (warbler)(梅に鶯). BTW, At least, the bird had been thought to be an Uguisu for the motif, but now it is believed that actually the bird is a Mejiro (white-eye).

I am unsure, but had a mei been removed?

Here you are. http://www.touken.or.jp/english/timetable.html

The sword is unsigned (無銘: mumei). Its province and era are thought to be Sagami no kuni (相模国) and around Koka (弘化: 1844-1848) respectively.

resembling but different tsuba on Yahoo auction. http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w5614023

Hi, The koshirae looks Han-dachi Koshirae to me.