On buying questionable signatures

[Peter Bleed]

A sword signed by a smith in the school I collect  showed up on a well-visited auction this this morning at a low open that is hard to ignore, BUT with  clear reservation about the legitimacy of the signature. The blade looks so-so at best in terms of quality, but it probably has to be "of the school." It is right for this school. I see no reason why this would NOT have been made by one or another of the guys who worked in this style.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that the available literature could not  be used to prove this sword "bad." But nobody - including the dealer - wants to say it is "good."

Is a sword like this at all collectible?

Peter

[Rivkin]

I think its different for koto vs. Edo.

In Muromachi one can accept a lot of variation when it comes to the signature. If the signature is consistent with the general way the school signed, one generally accepts it as is. I've seen plenty of comments with papered Muromachi blades even without it being stated "signed as" in papers - the signature is unusual and can still be spurious. But no one can prove its spurious. Maybe third or fourth generation Soshu Masahiro did sign it this way occasionally. Just because there are known seven or nine of his signatures that are different does not mean there can't be tenth one which is of its own type.

 

Even with high profile names of the early koto, if its consistent with the school's style and the blade is right for the school, it will more likely be accepted rather than not. There is a large variation in signatures, like Bizen Nagamitsu or Tomonari etc. etc., and no one knows how many generations do these variations correspond to. I would not refuse to purchase something that definitely looks ko-Bizen even if the signature has every single stroke pointing in the wrong direction compared to something in a book. Pity you almost absolutely never see something this old and unpapered but still paperable.  

 

For everything from Edo period or even earlier smith known for a consistent, single generation signature, anything unusual is usually no papers.

[Vermithrax16]

Hello Peter!

 

I saw the sword to which you refer today. Unable to get a mei comp for that gen, but several around it. As you mention, workmanship is ok for the school. As always a shinsa submission is an option but without a paper passing a sword like this along during resale can always be a bit more difficult.