Help please with mei both sides

[drb 1643]

Hi all, I’m hoping for a translation of this tang. I’m lost.

 Thank you all very much for your expertise and knowledge.

Tom

[Surfson]

Looks like it's trying to be Taikei Naotane.

[Surfson]

With my limited skills, looks like Dewa Kuni Junin Taikei XX Naotane (Kao)

[Surfson]

The other side has a date:  Bunka Ju nana nen (1818).  Then it appears like maybe there is a horimono date or something.   Does it have a carving?

[drb 1643]

No sir, there’s no horimono. 
Thank you very much for your information.

Tom

[Surfson]

I suppose it could be a one body cutting test.

[SteveM]

出羽国住人大慶庄司直胤（花押）

文化十四年仲秋（１８０７）
同十二月廿六日於千住大々土壇拂

 

Robert has it right: Dewa-no-kuni jūnin Taikei Shōji Naotane (kaō)

Date of Bunka 14, Autumn. (1817)

 

The last line is a cutting test inscription.

Same year, December 26th, at Senjū (in suburbs of Tokyo at that time).

Performed the Tai-tai cut

 

(although here its spelled incorrectly. It should be 太々.)

[Surfson]

Thanks Steve.  Tom, you should know that Taikei Naotane is one of the most famous Shinshinto smiths, and if yours is genuine, it will be very valuable if it is healthy.   If you post clearer close up photos of the signature you can get advice as to whether it is clearly a false signature or has a chance to be genuine, in which case it would be worth submitting the sword to shinsa for authentication/appraisal.  

[drb 1643]

Thank you both very much for your information. I’ll post clearer pictures tomorrow when I can get access to the sword.

Tom

[drb 1643]

Here’s clearer pictures of the tang. Thank you all very much for any additional information.

Tom

[drb 1643]

And the reverse.

[drb 1643]

Sorry, I can only load limited pictures because of the size. Here’s the rest of the mei.

Tom

[drb 1643]

Does anyone have any thoughts-gimei?

Thanks for any opinions.

Tom

[SteveM]

Possible to get pictures of the sword itself? Full shape, and then some close ups? 

Usually you look at the sword first, and then the signature. The reason for this is that with a bit of practice, anyone can learn how to forge a name. But swordmaking...this is something that isn't easily faked. 

 

Here is a Naotane sword from the same year as the date on your sword for comparison.

https://www.touken-sato.com/event/katana/2013/02/TC-naotane-01.html

[drb 1643]

Sorry, it took me a while to get the pictures. Here’s an overall view and some closeups. Nagasa is 29.25 inches and sori is .5 inch.

Thank you all very much.

Tom

[drb 1643]

Some more.

[SteveM]

Looks very interesting. The hamon on the right side is different from the hamon on the left side. Do you have a sword club or shop nearby where you can take it to somebody who knows Japanese swords? It looks to me like it was made by someone very skilled. Skilled at the level of the great Naotane? Hard to say, but 1818 would be an early sword for him. I would be considering sending it to Japan to get authenticated.

[drb 1643]

Thank you Steve for your thoughts. Yes, I'm going to take it to someone with a lot more knowledge than I hopefully next weekend. I'll let you know his thoughts.

Tom

[Stephen]

Definitely a shinshinto blade...hope this is one of those happy finds!! Beautiful blade either way.

[Surfson]

Tom, the mei looks good enough to submit to shinsa to me.  

[BIG]

Hi Tom, could be gimei..

 

Bunka 4 is 1807, the earliest blade he dated with his Kao is a Tanto  dated BUNKA GO-NEN CHUSHU JOJUN (Kataoka Ginsaku) early august Bunka 5 (1808)

 

BEST

[BIG]

[BIG]

Hi Tom, think this is the shoshin blade..

 

BEST

[Tom Darling]

You have a very fine sword, excellent.  I am leaning towards shoshin, if it's not Naotane it's the best gimei I've ever seen. Congratulations. 

 

One Tom to another Tom  I love it!

[Sansei]

Tom, unlike others on this forum, I am a neophyte regarding nihonto. I found this discussion of gimei and thought it was interesting and informative: https://blog.yuhindo.com/gimei/

 

Wish you the best of luck with your sword.

[Jacques]

He guys, 

 

You should wonder what kind of hamon Naotane performed at that time ...

[Surfson]

Naotane was a chamelion like Masahide and Sadakatsu.   I have a naotane in Yamato style, and I think he worked in the style of many major schools.  What does it tell you Jacques?  

[Tom Darling]

I remember seeing another excellent tachi mei Naotane dated, over 40 years ago with same bold strokes and identical yasuri-mei. Besides being dated it had an inscription referring to  5000 years ?..................... all I can recall. Should make it easier to locate in Juyo listings etc.  Length was around 28 inches plus. 

[Jacques]

19 hours ago, Surfson said:

Naotane was a chamelion like Masahide and Sadakatsu.   I have a naotane in Yamato style, and I think he worked in the style of many major schools.  What does it tell you Jacques?  

 

At that time, Naotane was doing Bizen style (Kagemitsu to be precise). Does this hamon match?