Umetada School Signature Help Wanted

[Timur]

Hi gents,

 

Could you please help me with this signature? On the right is 埋忠明寿 弟子 - Umetada Myoju deshi. 

Can't figure out what is on the left?

[John A Stuart]

It is Umetada Myoju with a date. I think. 埋忠明壽 I tried quickly to figure that out but hadn't any luck. John

[Timur]

It is Umetada Myoju with a date. I think. 埋忠明壽 I tried quickly to figure that out but hadn't any luck. John

Thank you John, but I am afraid it's not. Deshi means student or pupil, so should be his disciple.

I add the full photo for more fun. 

[John A Stuart]

Ah, 子弟 written the traditional right left direction. Deshi, I overlooked that. John

[Curran]

That looks to be a big tsuba. I imagine it being very interesting mounted, and wonder what the rest of the koshirae looked like.

 

As to 'Deshi':

   I would ask you John, Guido, or one of our Japanese members if deshi can also mean follower as "in the tradition of" or "disciple of"?

Ie. Not a direct student under Umetada Myoju, but rather sort of a homage piece in the tradition, style, or interpretation of Umetada Myoju, as understood by the actual maker.

I think it an interesting tsuba with the two tones of inlay used for trunk and blossoms, but it feels to me a good bit later than Umetada Myoju.

Depending on the size of the tsuba, I'd almost wonder if it were made for a shrine dedication sword? Either that or someone was walking around with a big tsuba on a sub 90cm sword.

[Timur]

Depending on the size of the tsuba, I'd almost wonder if it were made for a shrine dedication sword? 

Well, it is 140 mm - 5 1/2 inches - and 383 grams. 

[John A Stuart]

When we hear the word 'Deshi' we think 'pupil', yes it can be 'disciple' or a 'follower'. A grammarian may explain how this works. I think one does not even have to be a direct student of, in this case, Myouju to use the term to show adherence to the style, Kenjougo usage. That is a huge Tsuba and is that size not something made for display of ability? or indeed as an Houno to a shrine. Similar and opposite were miniature furniture made by apprentices as show pieces before becoming journeymen. John

[Timur]

Markus Sesko kindly allowed me to post his opinion:

 

"I am not 100% sure but I think that the signature on the left side of the nakago-ana reads "Yukinaga Genji saku" (行長源二作). However, I was not able to find that artist in my records. Well, the claim with being a student of Umetada Myoju might be far fetched but still, Myoju had so many students and it is still possible that this craftsmen was one of them. The workmanship does not totally resemble Umetada workmanshp but has more in common with Kyo-kenjo, so maybe this Yukinaga Genji, if my reading is correct, was a Kyo-kenjo artist who might have had some connection to the Umetada School."

[Curran]

Well said by Markus.

 

My own feeling is the iron patina is the product of being open air and stationary a long time.