Kanesada Katana, Which Gen?

[terminus]

Hi,

I'm fairly sure this is a Kanesada katana, but was wondering which gen Kanesada it might be. I'm not very good at reading Japanese and was wondering if anyone could identify the smith.

Regards,

Tony

[Darcy]

Signature reads Izumi no Kami Fujiwara Kanesada ... signed in Nosada style.

 

The date is Eisho 11 (1514). So this is in the wheelhouse of the nidai Kanesada (Nosada). There is a lot of variation in his signature as he worked for a long time, legendarily over 100 years old.

 

You will have to do some signature study to determine legitimacy. It feels a bit off to me. You can compare against two legit examples here:

 

 

The one on the left is from a blade that was papered to Kanemoto but as you can see from my arrow there is an atari which is the top part of the Sada of Nosada. Because it had Kane on it and the blade was sanbonsugi I think it automatically went to Kanemoto. But I had a very rare and beautiful example of Kanesada working in this style so I looked twice. It had Tokubetsu Kicho papers so those can be weak sometimes and this is an example. So consider it a third alternative maybe.

 

Does this have papers? In good polish like this and shirasaya, it's been cared for and I'd assume a blade like this went in already.

[terminus]

Thanks Darcy,

The seller hasn't put it through Shinsa just yet. And I definitely think you are correct, that Kanemoto katana is a Kanesada, just the mei got cut. Anyway, why do you think the Nosada signature feels "a bit off"? Personally I've been wondering why there's no "saku" at the end of the mei since I usually see Nosada mei's with the Saku. 

Tony

[cabowen]

Thanks Darcy,

 

The seller hasn't put it through Shinsa just yet. And I definitely think you are correct, that Kanemoto katana is a Kanesada, just the mei got cut. Anyway, why do you think the Nosada signature feels "a bit off"? Personally I've been wondering why there's no "saku" at the end of the mei since I usually see Nosada mei's with the Saku. 

 

Tony

 

There is "saku" at the end of the mei...you aren't reading far enough ! :lol:

 

See if you can find another example of his mei wherein he states the blade was made in Ise Yamada 伊勢山田. This mei is listed in the Meikan though the syntax is different (Ise ni oite Yamada kore saku) versus the one above (oite Ise Yamada kore saku). The Meikan example is most likely a typo....

 

It is thought he forged some swords in Ise and during this time made the acquaintance of Sengo Muramasa. There is a sword made by Kanesada at the Sano Museum with the Ise Yamada mei, made to order for a low ranking priest of the Ise Jingu in Eisho 14. Reportedly, there are others with the "oite Ise Yamada kore saku" soemei from Eisho 12 and Eisho 14.

 

 

It is a well made sword by the looks of it. You might make an offer contingent on shinsa....Oh, and to answer your question, this would be the nidai...

[Darcy]

There also exists a chance that what's on the front is OK and what's on the back is no good. I don't like going out too far on a limb with Kanesada. With mine I posted it here way, way, way long in the past and all of the guys at the time piled on and said it was gimei, then it passed through papers no problem and Tanobe sensei sayagaki. You're dealing with a smith who was capable of copying his friends, copying Rai, copying Soshu, copying Muramasa as well as making his own stuff. 

 

Just, you know as well as the rest of us the risk of buying a big name, in polish and nice shirasaya with no papers. Mine worked out but it is a gamble.