leo Posted February 6, 2013 Report Posted February 6, 2013 Dear All, there is one thing that bothered me for a while, as I have seen it now and then: Has anybody seen a mei which deliberately was applied by the smith in order to leave room for a mekugi ana? I am not talking about katana where there is enough space above the first kanji to place the ana appropriately. I have seen this on small nakago of tanto or wakizashi where the nakago hardly supplied room for a long mei. Where there any smiths who signed their blades after making the mekugi ana leaving a larger space between 2 kanji in order not to hurt the signature? I am aware that most of such swords are gimei as the signature was added later, but where there exceptions anybody know of? Best, Quote
Jean Posted February 6, 2013 Report Posted February 6, 2013 If you browse the Board, you will find examples. Remember having seen at least one. Quote
leo Posted February 6, 2013 Author Report Posted February 6, 2013 Merci, Jean, I´ll give it a try. Best, Quote
Grey Doffin Posted February 6, 2013 Report Posted February 6, 2013 I have a sword by Yokoyama Sukeyoshi on my site that displays this well. He signed "Bizen Tomonari Go Ju Hachi Dai" (58th generation of Tomonari) and left room between the Tomo and the Nari for the mekugi-ana. http://www.japaneseswordbooksandtsuba.c ... -sukeyoshi Grey Quote
leo Posted February 6, 2013 Author Report Posted February 6, 2013 Thank you, Grey. This is the perfect example! If now I would find such a piece with a Hozon or NTHK Paper or a confirmation that such a thing is nonexistant, I would be completely satisfied. Best, Quote
ROKUJURO Posted February 6, 2013 Report Posted February 6, 2013 .......He signed "Bizen Tomonari Go Ju Hachi Dai" (58th generation of Tomonari)..... Waow! In a straight succession and 25 years per generation that makes almost one and a half thousand years! Impressing! I'll go and talk to my children right away this evening! Quote
leo Posted February 7, 2013 Author Report Posted February 7, 2013 There are quite a few reasons why the western definition of a generation, which is simply an assumed cycle of reproduction, cannot be compared to the sometimes complicated Japanese succession system within the smith´s school and/or family. Best, Quote
Jiro49 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 I have been told and always assumed that a mei (other than tameshi-mei) worked around the mekugi-ana was thought to be gimei? I know there are no absolutes, but as general rule is this true? Thank you for the lesson! Quote
Jiro49 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 Ok, thanks for the response.. So here is a neophyte question then.. Since the mekugi-ana placement is known by the smith why is it you see so many blades with the ana thru one of the kanji? Again, sorry for the FNG question...! Quote
John A Stuart Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 A diiferent person fits the sword out and places the ana in the best position for his work. John Quote
Jiro49 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 Sorry, one last question regarding this subject. I was under the impression that there is a certain "sweet spot" where the ana should be placed for structural reasons... True? Quote
Adrian Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 So, after all, is a mei that "avoids" the mekugi-ana a gimei or not? Or what are the exceptions? Inquiring minds need to know . Quote
cabowen Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 The mekugi ana is placed a certain approximate distance down from the hamachi depending on whether the sword is a katana, tachi, wakizashi, or tanto, depending on smith. A mei that avoids the mekugi ana is NOT automatically gimei. Quote
Jiro49 Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 From the answers im assuming no, but as everything else there are no absolutes... Quote
Adrian Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 The mekugi ana is placed a certain approximate distance down from the hamachi depending on whether the sword is a katana, tachi, wakizashi, or tanto, depending on smith. A mei that avoids the mekugi ana is NOT automatically gimei. So basically some smiths bothered to leave some space where they knew that the mekugi ana would be drilled, while others didn't? Quote
runagmc Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 In some cases I'm sure the sword isn't signed until after the rough mounting is completed, since usually this is done while the sword is still in rough polish... Quote
Jacques Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 Hi, You will find some explanations about the location of the mekugi ana here : http://www.archive.org/stream/archaeolo ... t_djvu.txt Quote
Adrian Posted February 7, 2013 Report Posted February 7, 2013 Thank you, that's a very interesting material. Someone needs to theach pe people at archive.org what a pdf is Quote
Brian Posted February 8, 2013 Report Posted February 8, 2013 Someone needs to theach pe people at archive.org what a pdf is http://archive.org/details/archaeologicaljo62brit Brian Quote
leo Posted February 8, 2013 Author Report Posted February 8, 2013 Thank you, some interesting contributions! Again it seems that if there is one rule, it is that there is none. Off course the sometimes calligraphic flow of a signature should not be interrupted by an irregular spacing, but a hole in the middle of a kanji is not very attractive either. So I guess, even it it was rather unusual to avoid the mekugi ana, there was probably no law against signing a nakago after the ana was punched! Best, Quote
george trotter Posted February 9, 2013 Report Posted February 9, 2013 Just as a matter of interest I looked through Slough and found that of the approx. 150 oshigata, about 45 had some part of a kanji pierced by the mekugi ana. Most smiths put the mei so it was below where a mekugi ana would be. Some left a space (particularly the Gassan smiths) but even so, there are some small "cuts" of part of a kanji. So, about a third of this sample are cut by the ana. regards, Quote
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