Help with mei please?

[CurtisR]

Greetings all,

 

I recently found a Katana in Gunto mountings (silver Tsuba, seppa and menuki with the Naito Mon). when worn in Tachi fashion, the omote mei I believe. reads as follows:

 

"Showa era, 19th year, 2nd day" - did I get this correct?

 

On the ura side, there are two lone kanji that , no matter where I've looked , I can't find. My guess is it is the smith's mei, as the blade looks to be traditionally forged and in almost new polish. Even my iPhone Kanji app had no idea of these two.

 

Any opinions (or changes to my translation) would be welcomed. I'd also be happy to post more pics or the sword in the Gunto section if requested....

 

Many thanks, and looking forward to new knowledge!

 

Curtis R.

[Drago]

I've been checking all my sources. At first I thought it looks easy enough, but just can't find those as well... Sorry.

 

But I have to say, that signature looks beautiful!

 

Could you post pics of the blade and fittings as well?

[CurtisR]

Thanks Tobias,

I'm glad I'm not the only one who can't get it :D . And absolutely - I'll post pics in the a.m. under the "Gunto" section of the board....

 

Curtis R.

[ROKUJURO]

Curtis,

 

the MEI does not look like a chiselled one, it seems to be stamped. I have never seen such a stamp on a genuine blade, but I am not a specialist in this field. If you showed some photos of the blade, we might be able to tell if this is possibly a mass produced new China fake or a WWII blade.

 

Silver TSUBA?? Does not sound good as well!

[Thierry BERNARD]

could it be ? :

其圀

[cabowen]

真圀 Masakuni

 

It is chiseled. Maybe a student of Kato Masakuni signing his name (daimei).

 

Here are some examples of his usual signature:

 

[george trotter]

Maybe a fancy way of writing Sanekuni (early name Nobuaki), family name Kato, student of Horii Taneaki?....also, he may be read as Masakuni as listed in Chris Bowen's Tokyo Kindai List for this same man who studied in the Horii Line (see V. Hanazawa Tanrenjo 1.1.3.).

If so he is written as Masa and as Sane (in 2 different sane forms in the books).

Please look also at Uchiyama Chapter II p.4,5 and Hawley 1981 SAN 104 and Meikan p.382.

Regards,

Edit...bingo, Chris beat me to it.

[cabowen]

Correct reading is "Masa" for this smith.....

[Justin Grant]

Chris,

 

Did he always put the Nichiren Namu Myoho Renge Kyo on his swords or was this special?

[Brian]

Curtis,

When you say found...do you mean you bought it, have been offered it, or just saw it somewhere?

 

Brian

[CurtisR]

Thanks all, and Chris, I think you've nailed it. It is absolutely carved and not stamped. The Mei has a "flair" to the script and is very bold compared to more linear mei I've seen...the second Kanji looked very much like sanscrit, which was confusing.

 

Brian, it's in a friend's collection but I believe he's going to start selling them soon (including some others I've posted here before) as we talked about his putting them on the market last Friday. I'm hoping he will, as they'd be best with collectors who appreciate them and will perhaps invest to keep them in good shape. Most will be out of my price-range .With permission of the Board leaders, I'd be happy to post some pics of the blade & koshirae, but perhaps it would be better in the Gunto section? As for the silver Tsuba - it's no joke. Simple, but well made. I *believe* it's solid silver, as does it's owner who deals metals every day.

 

Time to put the examples into my database!

 

Curtis R.

[cabowen]

Chris,

 

Did he always put the Nichiren Namu Myoho Renge Kyo on his swords or was this special?

 

No, that was special....And cut in the Nichiren script!

[george trotter]

Chris,

 

Did he always put the Nichiren Namu Myoho Renge Kyo on his swords or was this special?

 

Two things...

1, Justin, , how about explaining this Nichiren script reference and how it relates to this sword (or this smith) under discussion, after all, this is a learning/teaching board.

 

2. Curtis san, the "flair" you mention in the writing of the mei looks like reisho script (clerk's writing) to me. It became popular in mid Edo through to Taisho. It seems much rarer in Showa. I have a sword signed this way (see pic) dated 1944...very beautiful writing IMHO...also...the kanji for kuni as written on your sword, although rare, is found in most kanji dictionaries.

 

This looks like a very nice sword and I'd like to see some pics too.

Regards,

Geo.

[CurtisR]

Thanks George, that's a great example of the "flair" I was referring to...I'm enjoying learning the subtleties of script.

I'll post some more pics of the blade directly after this reply in the Gunto section...it is a very pretty blade. Due to difficulties, I wasn't able to take an overall shot but will do so this weekend, hopefully.

 

Thanks to everyone for their great info!

 

Curtis

[cabowen]

Two things...

1, Justin, , how about explaining this Nichiren script reference and how it relates to this sword (or this smith) under discussion, after all, this is a learning/teaching board.

 

2. Curtis san, the "flair" you mention in the writing of the mei looks like reisho script (clerk's writing) to me. It became popular in mid Edo through to Taisho. It seems much rarer in Showa. I have a sword signed this way (see pic) dated 1944...very beautiful writing IMHO...also...the kanji for kuni as written on your sword, although rare, is found in most kanji dictionaries.

 

This looks like a very nice sword and I'd like to see some pics too.

Regards,

Geo.

 

Justin is talking about the Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, which is the Buddhist prayer central to Nichiren-shu, on the nakago above the Masakuni mei on the first nakago image I posted above. It is cut in the Nichiren script style seen all over Japan on their monuments...

 

Here is an example:

 

[george trotter]

Thanks Chris, great explanation and example pic.

While I know about the Nichiren sect and the inscription (usually seeing it on the ji of a blade), I did not know the style was their own special script. I appreciate your explanation, and I must admit this is the first time I remember seeing it on the nakago.

Thanks again,

[Justin Grant]

Chris is correct, it is a chant from the Nichiren sects of Buddhism. The script cut into the metal is excellent work, it made me think based on the execution, he had done this many, many times.

 

The odd thing about this being on a blade is that Nichiren base belief is non violence, but I have seen Samurai armor with the daimoku (Namu Myoho Renge Kyo) on them.

 

The reading and pronunciation of the daimoku is different based on the Sect, Nichiren Shoshu is Nam Myoho Renge Kyo, and Nichiren Shu is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. One of the many fundamental differences, but the written script is based off the handwriting of the Diashonin himself (Nichiren).

 

Wish I had that blade.

 

Anyway, sorry for the religious rant, it really did not have anything to do with the blade outside of a superb execution of the script.

[george trotter]

Thanks Justin...very interesting. Yes, a good point...perhaps they are "fiercely" non-violent?...where do the non-violent go during a war...?

Regards,

[John A Stuart]

I have always perceived Nichiren's formal script; he wrote in different scripts; as basic Chinese hanzi with added Siddham cursives to show religious bearing (holiness?). You will find a combination of both scripts in the Nichiren Gohonzons. He may have adapted this form due to reading Tiantai (Tendai) sutras commonly in Chinese, Sanskrit and Siddham. At least from examples which may or may not be actually by his hand or copies. John

[Justin Grant]

The "modern" versions of the Gohonzon are created or made by high ranking monks. The one inscribed by the DaiShonin is in the main temple.

 

 

As for the inscription on war blades and other earlier Samurai related regalia, I don't understand. The DaiShonin was relentlessly persecuted by the Taira Shogun, banished several time, and most of his monks had ears removed, or beheaded. But later Kato Kiyomasa was a Nichiren follower, but odd considering his treatment of Korea, etc.

 

Life was different then, so I am sure they all reconciled the differences at that time.

[cabowen]

The sword with the inscription I posted above is rather unique in other ways as well, for Masakuni. His usual work is done in choji or choji-midare like the rest of the Kato school but this blade is done in a chu-suguha with ashi and other activities. The blade has a Keicho shinto shape with an extended kissaki. The forging is well done. It looks nothing like a WWII era gendaito...