Translation of Antique Japanese mei on shirasaya

[Vagabond]

Hello,

I ask you a kind help with this mei.  It is old Japanese not easy to translate.

I got this answer from a Japanese :  

The sayagaki is mentioned just only the length of the blade and the date.

1 syaku 6 sun 2 bu               otsu Tori nen 12 Gatsu syoto bi

   48.48cm and                             kinotori Nen

What does it mean?

Lenght 48,48 cm and ??

 

 

 

 

[Vagabond]

moreover, below the written, if you zoom,  it looks 1/2  kanji  were cancelled

[SteveM]

長壱尺六寸二分有之
乙（己）酉年十二月初冬日

 

Nagasa isshaku roku sun ni bu ari kore
Tsuchinoto-tori (Kinoto-tori?) nen jūnigatsu shoto jitsu

 

Length 1 shaku, 6 sun, 2 bu
1969 (2005?) December, early winter

 

The length uses the old Japanese units of measurement: shaku, sun, bu.

https://www.kampaibudokai.org/Script.htm

 

Hard to tell what the year zodiac date is. I tend to think it is 1969. The saya looks a bit "handled" to be from the 2000s. And the writing sort of looks like the writing of Sato Kanzan, so that would put the date at 1969 also. There is no guarantee that it is his signature, however. 

The erased part looks like it was probably a signature (kaō, in Japanese). The fact that it was erased makes one think it may have been a false signature that someone preferred to erase rather than keep on the saya, and that would cast some doubt on whether it was a Kanzan signature or not. In any event, I would guess 1969.

[uwe]

I guess the zodiac is pointing to “1945 乙酉 昭和 20”!?

 

[mecox]

Yes Steve and Uwe thats about it.    乙酉年十二月初冬日     kinoto tori nen  ju ni gatsu shoto hi     

kinoto (2/10 stems)   tori (rooster sign  10/12)      nen (year)   ju ni  (12)    gatsu   (month)   hatsu fuyo  (pronounced shoto:  early winter)  hi (a day)

which is December 1945

 

Mal

[Vagabond]

First I thank you all for your opinion. I think is pretty interested this matter of time calculation.... I add what I was told time ago  """ In terms of kinotori nen it is the same chinese Chtacter of Otsutori nen. It comes from china regarding fortune telling/astronical. According to this, every 60 years , the name of the year has been changing. kintori nen is year divided by 60 with a reminder of 25. Another words the last one is 2005, 1945 etc... Not sure what year but this is the way. 12 gatsu means december"""

 

So, from the above consideration, I think it could be before 1945.  Also Patina of nagako and sugata make me think this. I add 2 pictures. I can not take better pictures  now. They are old ones

[Vagabond]

moreover on mune there are apparently signs of battle

 

[SteveM]

I doubt the date is 1945. I don't think anyone would be writing a sayagaki in the midst of (or on the eve of) the confiscation of swords by US army personnel.  If its 乙酉, its probably 2005. The sword itself is, of course, hundreds of years old, I guess. Anyway, the date on this shirasaya is the date of the writing, not the date of the sword. 

 

As I say, the first character could be 己 rather than 乙 (similar-looking, but different), making the zodiac date 己酉 (1969). But, looking at the various calligraphy styles it seems to be 乙酉, so 2005 - or a somewhat implausible 1945. 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle

[mecox]

Agreed, December 1945 is somewhat unlikely.

[Vagabond]

interesting that you think the date on this shirasaya is the date of the writing and not the date of the sword.  This would make me think it was a gift, otherwise why writing a date on that?