Daisho Fuchi Mei Translation Please

[Barrie B]

Hi all,

 

I have what appears to be a Daisho Fuchi; however, they seem to be made by different artists? Perhaps one was a later commission to match the first..? I am interested to find out if both smiths are contemporary? The Fuchi both have exactly the same Shakudo finish with matching Mon(s) - which I can't identify either. I have Hawley's Mon Book and this particular Mon is not recorded. The Matsudaira had many 'similar' Mon, but not this 'exact' one, according to Hawley.

 

Can someone please assist me to translate these? I have worked out that one of the smiths was Yukiyoshi Ca 1800 or 1850 (H 12488, 12489 or 12490), but the other has me stumped, as does the rest of the kanji.

 

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Sincerely,

 

Barrie.

[kyushukairu]

The style of carving is quite similar, and I would guess that it was done by the same hand. The writing on the dai fuchi is 'Hitachi Kasama ni oite/ hoken kore'  (於 常陸笠間/ 彫剣之)
 

[SteveM]

First line on the right of the 3rd (last) picture is a dedication

應囗堂  

 

I don't know the kanji in the middle. Maybe a variation of 栖 or 栗. The first kanji (in blue above) is the one that indicates this is a dedication: some acknowledgement of the person or organization who requested the item.

 

So yes they look like a matched set, with the artist and dedication on the one piece, and the location of the place where this was crafted on the other. A bit uncommon, I would think, and an interesting oddity. 

 

The mon is Ivy in quince. 五瓜に蔦

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E4%BA%94%E7%93%9C%E3%81%AB%E8%94%A6&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=fJj9p9jESkgSsM%253A%252CPhabvrJNHXoLnM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQBQd8pn-c8b1Bf5QJVSSt5dktHmg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwji7fGoi9rfAhWFQd4KHebbDwYQ9QEwA3oECAUQCg#imgrc=fJj9p9jESkgSsM:

[Barrie B]

Thank you so much. I was really stumped with this. So these were made at Hiratsuki Kasama by Yukiyoshi..? What does 彫剣之 mean?

 

And do we know who/ or which family used this Mon, or is it too generic to tell..?

 

Thanks.

 

Barrie.

[SteveM]

Made at Kasama city (in what was formerly Hitachi province...now Ibaraki).

 

彫剣之  I think this is kanbun, so the reading is probably a bit idiosyncratic. Ken de kore wo horu, or some such reading, would be my guess, but I am not a kanbun expert. Basically it just means "carved by", and would be read together with the inscriptions on the companion piece. 

 

I don't know which families used this crest. So many families use the same mon, rarely is anyone able to pinpoint a specific mon to one family, unless you have the provenance of the item. 

[Barrie B]

Steve and Kyle,

 

Thank you for your assistance. I genuinely thought these were made by different kinko artists and one was a later commission; however, they are - as Steve said - exactly the same in finish and design. Although this did not surprise me as these artists were very clever and could match anything.. I am pleased to know that they are a true set though.

 

Thanks again,

 

Barrie.

[SteveM]

Finally figured out the other kanji. The right side of the wakizashi fuchi is 應柳堂, Ō-Yanagidō (Dedicated to Yanagidō) 

 

The artist is using a variant of 柳 Yanagi. I don't know what or who Yanagidō is. There exists such a last name in Japan, but it i extremely rare. It could be part of a dedication to a temple (Yanagidō sounds like it could be part of a buddhist temple), but I'm not sure. 

[John A Stuart]

There are literally dozens of halls named willow in martial arts halls. John

[Guest]

Hi Steve, I agree Quince and Ivy,  Gokani Ni Tsuta 五瓜に蔦, is there a way to make the distinction that the Ivy is line only in the description and not like the many other full veined examples ?

[SteveM]

Yes there is - its 五瓜に中陰蔦

https://kamon.myoji-yurai.net/kamonDetail.htm?kamonName=%E4%BA%94%E7%93%9C%E3%81%AB%E4%B8%AD%E9%99%B0%E8%94%A6