Ludolf Richter

Hi,the last 2 Kanji (in Sosho-grass writing) read Nagatsune: H 06539,1722-1787.Look at the pic.Ludolf

Hi,Hawley's entry with MIC 6 has the wrong name:Michiasa instead of Michiaki (Nihonto Meikan page 923)!Ludolf

Hi,I believe it could have been made by Goto Ichijo or a student of him.Here is a pic with your piece and shoshin-mei.Ludolf

Hi Charlie,my best guess now is,that Yoshinao (Nobukuni group from Chikuzen,Hawley YOS 1209) made the sword and Toshihide (Nobukuni group from Chikugo,TOS 20 or successor) made the horimono.Ludolf

Hi,your Toshihide with date Nov.1798 (or 1799 or 1800,there may have been one or two horizontal strokes destroyed by the hole!) is either Hawley's TOS 20 (Chikugo,Kanbun era) or a successor, not yet in the books.He and his father (TOS 19) used to add a figure showing what generation they were,beginning with the famous Nobukuni from Yamashiro (NOB 300,about 1350).I cannot read the respective characters,it should be more than "20".Ludolf

Hi Sencho,here are 3 examples from the books.Ludolf

What's the conclusion?Is he now regarded as a hitherto non recorded Showa swordsmith,because a Kanenami is not listed in the following sources?Ludolf Hawley Tokuno Gendai Toko Meikan Gendai Toko Kinko Shitsu Kata Soran A Guide to Showa Swordsmiths 1926-Present An Oshigata Book of Modern Japanese Swordsmiths 1868-1945 Dr.Stein/Oshigata of Showa Era Swordsmiths Swords and Swordsmiths of the Gendaito Period 1868-1989 Undocumented Showa Era Swordsmiths Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths From 1868 to the Present Nihonto Club Swordsmiths Database

Hi Koichi,I am quite astonished about what you are telling us with the Sosho writing,which this swordsmith didn't use.I believe that you are not accepting,that there is no Kanenami Showato but 3 Kanetoshi from Gifu.What about the left part of the last Kanji he used,which differs from the one of your "nami".The writing of "toshi" maybe his personal style.Ludolf

Hi!I have more than 20 mei-pics from Akao Yoshitsugu,none with the "box" in tsugu like in the above pic!There is no Akao Yoshiji or Yoshiharu in the books.Ludolf

toshi 俊 or nami 波 ?!Ludolf

Hi!Besides the fact that there is no Kanenami,i do believe that the Mei reads Kanetoshi.It may be from one of the Showato guys from Gifu (former Mino) KAN 2637 (no signature to be found in my books) or KAN 2638. The 3rd one,KAN 2632,has a different Mei.From KAN 2638 I could only find a Nakarishi-Mei (look at Dr.Stein's site),where a specialist made the Mei for that Kanetoshi (and several other swordsmiths like the one of one of my swords).Ludolf

If you have a scanner use it in order to get very sharp mei-pics.Ludolf

Hi Eric here are 4 examples of authentic Konkan-pieces.Ludolf

Here he signed on the "right" side.Ludolf

Hi,here are some additional pics.Ludolf

Hi,there is "The Characteristics of Kyushu Shinto" by Kentaro Yoshikawa in English in "Art and the Sword" 1991 Vol.Four with data about this swordsmith (ca.1670-1755) on pages 66 to 68.He started with Go Tadakane ("Tada" from his 1st teacher Tadakiyo) before he changed to Kaneyoshi.He was a specialist in making Naginata.Yoshikawa owns a Naginata with date 1751 ("made with 81")!There is a Mei-pic.Compare the description of that Naginata with Your Sword.Ludolf

Thank You very much Nobody!From the quality it is probably the work of an artist known with other Go.I have a lot of books,Japanese and Non-Japanese,about Tosogu and a private database with more than 4.000 pics of Mei/Kao/seals:nothing to be found!Ludolf

Hi guys,I am probably the only member who didn't get help on the Translation Assistance page.I now repeat my request on the Tosogu page.Does anyboby have an idea with this Mei?Thanks!Ludolf

Hi.I am interested in a Kozuka,which has a Mei I couldn't find in the books.Please help.Ludolf

Hi,your 2 mei pics are not sharp enough for an anlysis:if your digital camera doesn't provide better quality pics,let the scanner do the work!Ludolf

Here are three more examples from Ikeda's book.Ludolf

Hi all,there are the (very rare!) 2 vols.by Ikeda in Japanese: Kahihei Oshigata. The Oshigata of Kajihei Naomitsu the Famous Faker. There are a lot of Kotetsu Mei examples,always with Shoshin Mei and Gimei, on pages 302 to 345 in the 2nd vol.with detailed explanation with shown strokes,not only the one of "our" example!Ludolf

Hi Michel,here are some Yoshitane Mei-pics.All from the Shodai or one or more from the Nidai?Ludolf

Hi John,there is no artist with these Kanji to be found in the "Bible" , the Kinko Jiten,and in my other Tsuba-books.It's probably a Go of a known artist whith other Go's hitherto recorded,e.g.with a different Masa-Kanji.I couldn't find the Kao in my database.Ludolf

Hi Guido,what's your "mamuki" hare/rabbit in English (not to be found in all my dictionaries) ? Ludolf