Tang Translation

[Edward G]

Good Evening to all.....Pictures are for an old Katana.   Just acquired a few days ago.   28 inch cutting edge.  Tang is signed and dated. I am stuck and  need some help translating the makers name.  However rust has obscured some characters especially on the date side.   Attached are pictures.  I think the signature goes something like this "Hizen Kuni Ju Osa fune XXXXXXXXXXXX Mitsu..    Cant seem to read the entire name near bottom.  Date side may be Tempo Period, but, with the clump of rust not sure.

 

Thanks 

Edward G.

[george trotter]

Don't think I can help much but I'll give it a go...it looks like the date is TEN MON 1 (1532)

And the mei is  BI ZEN KUNI JU OSA FUNE  ?  HYO E (no) JO  ?  MITSU

Because of the distinctive way the Osafune smiths identified themselves with these titles etc (eg  Sa-hyo-e-no-jo  or U-hyo-e-no-jo etc.) you will need to go carefully through the Bizen smiths and check their titles against yours...if you find the "missing" first part, you might be able to identify the full smith name.

Have fun.

[SteveM]

I'm not sure if that talcum powder on the tang is helping or hurting. The year on the reverse side looks like

天文十二　Tenbun 12

 

So that somewhat narrows the field. See here for a non-exhaustive list of candidates.

https://meitou.info/index.php/%E9%95%B7%E8%88%B9%E6%B4%BE

 

Your sword does not look like 清光 (Kiyomitsu), but it is of the same vintage as the many Kiyomitsu smiths listed near the bottom of that site. Another name that pops up often in Tenbun is Sukesada (祐定), but the name on this sword doesn't resemble Sukesada either, so we get deeper into the weeds. For sure it is a combination of given name and art name: something like 左兵衛尉囗光 (Sahyōe-no-jyo -mitsu).  

 

Edit: George beat me to the punch. 

[george trotter]

As Steve says...might be Tenbun 12...

[Edward G]

Thank you George and Steve for your thoughts.I am posting a few additional photos for your consideration that may help

 

Edward G

[george trotter]

I'm probably stupid for saying this, but could that  kanji on the cleaned tang be NARI? There were a few Narimitsu smiths in Bizen Osafune between 1350 - 1504.  Hawley brown book p.583.

[uwe]

Imaginable George “成“.

[Bugyotsuji]

I was looking at Hiromitsu 廣光 but could find no evidence of such a Bizen smith for mid 1500s.

[SteveM]

This is what it looks like to me. Up to Osafune is a given. And I think the 船 of Osafune is actually a bit squished compared to the 長 preceding it.  

I'm guessing 8th generation Norimitsu from the Tenbun era. 

 

I am not convinced of any of these except for 光, and I've even started to catch myself second-guessing this one.

八郎兵衛尉法光　Hachirōbei-no-jyō Norimitsu

(Note: I haven't tried to match this against any existing signatures). 

[Bugyotsuji]

Fuzzy, but clearer and larger photo down the bottom.

https://katananokura.jp/SHOP/1411-W02.html

[Edward G]

Thank You Steve, George, Uwe, and Bugyotsuji your participation in the tang translation is very much appreciated.  I would have never arrived at a conclusion by myself

 

Thanks Again

 

Edward G