Shimada Yoshisuke 8th generation?

[drjoe]

Trying to help out a lucky friend of a friend who was gifted an "attic" katana.

Some translation help from Ray Singer (and a couple hours of additional slow-going research on my part) reveals that the mei reads 嶋田七郎右衛門尉源義助 Shimada Shichiroemon no Jo Minamoto Yoshisuke.  It is dated 享保三天玄楮 Kyoho 3 (1718).

According to Markus Sesko's Index of Japanese Swordsmiths, the civilian name "Shichiroemon" in the zokumei and the date would make this the 8th generation Shimada Yoshisuke, though Markus' book lists his death in 1712 a few years before this sword was signed.

I have 3 questions:

 

1) Has anyone seen a signature or oshigata from the 8th generation Shimada Yoshisuke to compare?

2) Does anyone know what the phrase "天玄楮" means in the date?

3) The blade is in old mounts which are in disrepair with what appears to be an original polish that, surprisingly for an attic sword, is mostly free of rust.  Any idea of what a reasonable asking price would be for the sword if offered for sale?

 

These are the only photos I have at the moment... will add more if I can get them.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stephen]

Only thing i could find

[Stephen]

When i put it in yahoo them changed to English.

Tengen kozo 

What ever that could be

[drjoe]

5 hours ago, Stephen said:

When i put it in yahoo them changed to English.

Tengen kozo 

What ever that could be

Yeah, I ran it through Google translate without luck. Individually, the kanji seem to mean "heaven (ten) mysterious (gen) mulberry tree (kozo)"--the kozo is "paper mulberry" which is used to make washi paper... I suspect it's a kind of "kigo" or poetic way of stating the time of year.