Yari Identification

[nektoalex]

Hello! I ask you to help determine, if possible, the period of manufacture of the spear and its correspondence to the attached document. Photos are just like that. Thank!

[Peter Bleed]

It says Muromachi,late. so, 1500s

Peter

[ggil]

I heard the longer the polished shank the older. I think it makes sense more time to work on tiny intricate geometry 1600 on. Sorry to hijack and I hope you got what you needed here, and hope you ask if you need more.

[Shugyosha]

What Grant said is the rule of thumb with yari: a short kerikubi (the bit between the blade and the tang) points to shinto rather than koto manufacture. My initial feeling from looking at this bit was shinto but, as Peter says the paper suggests late Muromachi jidai, so there is perhaps some discrepancy here.

 

The paper attributes this unsigned yari to a smith working in Yamato province called Kane (?). I can't find the second kanji in Markus Sesko's list of kanji used in swordsmiths' names and neither does he list a smith signing with this "Kane" kanji working in Yamato in the late Muromachi period. This isn't comprehensive research - just a quick flick through the sources I have to hand so please apply with a pinch of salt, however, suffice it to say that my suspicions would be aroused by this. 

 

It doesn't look like the dimensions of the spear are recorded on the paper either which seems odd and so it is hard to judge the item and papers in this context. The rubbing of the tang does appear to be from the spear, but this could have been changed relatively easily. 

 

I can't make out the name of the organisation that issued the paper so, again this would be a detractor from my point of view: knowing who issued it and what weight to give to their opinion would help. 

 

Given this, (if you are buying) I would be suspicious of the seller or at least treating the item as an unsigned, unpapered shinto yari and mentally adjust the price for these factors and proceed, or not, accordingly.

[Bugyotsuji]

The attribution is to 金房 Kanefusa.

(The paper looks like a straight magnified copy of a Japanese registration card for swords and guns, and is not signed by any person or body.)

[nektoalex]

Thanks for the help! That is, this paper is not one of the standard documents that can accompany the subject, given the lack of a signature and the name of the organization and the size of the subject, which I understand are required for such documents that are regulated by certain rules?

[Guido]

The attribution is to 金房 Kanefusa.

I think the attribution reads Kanabō Masazane 金房正真.

[Stefan]

It is Kanabo Masazane , Sue Muromachi Jidai. 

[leo]

The company who issued the paper is the JTK (Jyuho Token Kenkyukai).  The basic paper is light blue, the higher grade paper is light brown.

 

Best, Martin

[Bugyotsuji]

Guido, thanks for the above. You keep me honest when I let down my guard.

 

It’s these people people. We’ve had this conversation before!

http://www.musasiya.co.jp/token.htm

[Shugyosha]

I think the attribution reads Kanabō Masazane 金房正真.

 

Thanks Guido. I really ought to have got that.