unokubi zukuri

[tom kehoe]

Folks,

 

Been lurking for a while, but this is my first post. I purchased this piece over the past weekend at the Florida Token Kai show in Tampa. Didn’t plan on buying anything, but I couldn’t walk away from this one. It's my first koto piece.

 

The vitals: Unokobi Zukuri sugata, 27.5 inches, NBTHK Hozen papers attribute it to Masachika Mihara of the Yamato in the 16th century. Suguha hamon, nioi-deki, chu kissaki, fresh polish. No visible signature, but the nakago is badly rusted. The opposite side of the nakago bears a test-cutting inscription -- three with one cut. The sayagaki, as I understand it, is by Yoshindo Yoshihara.

 

Love to hear your comments, thoughts, etc, and any translations on the NBTHK papers, or the inscription on the nakago would be most helpful. I'd also be grateful for any additional information on this smith.

 

tk

 

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/5510/sugatakw9.jpg

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/603/ ... ntshf5.jpg

http://img511.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... dletm6.jpg

[Bugyotsuji]

Hi Tom,

 

Good to see you and thanks for showing us your purchase.

Just a quick translation of the inscription:

ç„¡å　(三原正近)　(時代室町後期)

Mumei, (Mihara Masachika) (Jidai Muromachi Ko-ki)

Period Latter Muromachi

(金象嵌)　三ッ胴切断　山野＿＿(花押)

(Kinzogan) Mitsu-do setsudan, Yamano unreadable (Kao)

Gold inlay, cut through three upper bodies, Yamano (___) Kao

Shinsa Result: Hozon　Token

[tom kehoe]

Piers,

 

thanks for the reply and the translation. I speak a little Japanese, but I'm helpless when it comes to kanji. Is Yamano the name of the swordsman who conducted the test cut?

 

BTW, it was kind f late last night when I posted, and I forgot to include the picture of the saya.

 

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/2155 ... asett3.jpg

[Guest reinhard]

Yamano is the family name. They did test-cuttings during earlier Edo-period up to Genroku-era. Well documented are:

 

Yamano Kauemon-no-Jo NAGAHISA

Yamano Kanjuro HISAHIDE

 

Many of their sword-testing inscriptions can be found on swords made in Edo during Kambun-era (ca.1660's) and occasionally on older blades. The inscription is followed by a Kao (master-seal). Your paper says, that the inscription below "Yamano" is unreadable. If the Kao remains, it is probably possible to identify the Yamano-tester.

 

reinhard

[tom kehoe]

Reinhard,

 

many thanks for the information. so it wasn't common to do such formal tests in earlier periods?

 

this is all that can be made out of the inscription on the nakago.

 

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5065 ... ailig6.jpg

 

 

tk

[Bugyotsuji]

The saya is mostly the same as the paperwork except for some small detail:

At the top is the name Mihara Masachika, (attribution? my comment)

The next section just writes out in full NBTKH Kyokai (and a final 証 kanji to certify?)

Then: Kinzogan, 残欠有zanketsu ari = Gold inlay, with remaining and missing (parts)

The bottom section gives the length of the blade.

二尺三寸一分強 Just over 2 Shaku 3 zun (sun) 1 bu kyo

 

PS Looking at the remains of the gold inscription, one vertical stroke between 切断　and 山野 suggests there was another character. Then the name Yamano is offset more into a central position on the Nakago.

[Bugyotsuji]

See edit above, and read Nobody's correction below.

証　'sho' should be 極 'kiwame'

Apologies!

[Nobody]

At the top is the name Mihara Masachika, (attribution? my comment)

The next section just writes out in full NBTKH Kyokai (and a final 証 kanji to certify?)

I hope you do not mind a few corrections.

 

The final kanji is 極 (kiwame).

So, the text means "Mihara Masachika; attributed by NBTHK".

[Bugyotsuji]

At the top is the name Mihara Masachika, (attribution? my comment)

The next section just writes out in full NBTKH Kyokai (and a final 証 kanji to certify?)

I hope you do not mind a few corrections.

 

The final kanji is 極 (kiwame).

So, the text means "Mihara Masachika; attributed by NBTHK".

 

Well, I do mind and I don't mind! :lol: That character was a pretty good guess (I thought) and I got egg on my face again in public! It hurts my pride. Thank you for pointing it out, Koichi san. I am trying to emulate you, but it is VERY HARD WORK getting everything precisely correct. I must have gone back and edited small detail about 10 times. I began to realize this morning that unless I can do a proper job, I am not helping anyone; in fact I am getting in the way. You carry a heavy weight here. I wish I could help. Again I have learned that whenever I am not sure I must put another question mark.

 

PS I have added an apology above.

[tom kehoe]

Reinhard, Piers, Koichi-san,

 

Thank you for all of the help!

 

I have a number of books on Nihonto, but they say little about test cutting. Can you recommend a good reference on the subject?

 

many thanks

 

tk

[Nobody]

I have a number of books on Nihonto, but they say little about test cutting. Can you recommend a good reference on the subject?

Ref. an article from Dr. T's site

http://www2.una.edu/Takeuchi/DrT_Jpn_Cu ... ameshi.htm

[tom kehoe]

Koichi-san,

 

domo arigato gozaimasu!

 

I've never been on that site before. I appreciate the reference.

 

tk

[tom kehoe]

Gentlemen,

 

This sword currently has NBTHK hozon papers. How would I go about determining whether it is worthwhile to submit for Tokubetsu Hozon papers?

 

thank you again for the help.

 

tk

[Guido]

This sword currently has NBTHK hozon papers. How would I go about determining whether it is worthwhile to submit for Tokubetsu Hozon papers?

Unsigned Muromachi period swords don't receive TokuHo as a matter of priciple. Exceptions are few and far between.

[Nobody]

Guido is correct.

Refer to the NBTHK Shinsa Standards.

http://www.nihontocraft.com/Nihonto_Shi ... dards.html

[tom kehoe]

Guido, Koichici-san,

 

many thanks!

 

tk

[Guest reinhard]

Telling from what is left of the saidan-mei, the tester was probably Yamano Kauemon-no-Jo NAGAHISA. Yamano Kanjuro HISAHIDE can be excluded by the remains of the Kao.

 

reinhard

[tom kehoe]

Reinhard,

 

thank you!