Kanemichi on one side, but What is on the Other?

[Bruce Pennington]

Hi guys!

Thanks to @John C, we've got a Kanemichi blade (ok, half a blade!) with a nice Yasuki steel stamp (and 2 stamps on top of the mei!)  Could I get a translation of the inscription on the other side, please?

 

[C0D]

菊一文字 Kiku ichimonji

[Bruce Pennington]

7 hours ago, C0D said:

菊一文字 Kiku ichimonji

Thanks Manuel!

 

So, speaking as a guy almost completely devoid of knowledge - Is this just a 'tip-of-the-hat' to the swordsmiths of old who were part of the Shogunate's blessed smiths, who used the kikumon and ichi on their blades?  Also, doing a search online, it's used as a sword-fighting term meaning 'one stroke'.  Could this be the implication?

[mecox]

Bruce and Manuel, have a look at Kojima Kanemichi paper in Downloads

page 26 :   Kiku Ichimonji    菊一文字  refers to the 82nd Emperor of Japan Go-Toba  Chrysanthemum Throne                                                                                                                                                       who was a sword enthusiast and 1939  was the 700th anniversary of his death in 1229.

 

 

[Bruce Pennington]

On 11/23/2022 at 1:32 AM, mecox said:

 Kiku Ichimonji    菊一文字  refers to the 82nd Emperor of Japan Go-Toba  Chrysanthemum Throne                                                                                                                                                       who was a sword enthusiast and 1939  was the 700th anniversary of his death in 1229.

 

Thanks so much, Mal!  I have that document, just no way to absorb it all.

 

Took me a while for that to sink in ..... so fair to say this blade was made in 1939 @mecox Mal?

 

Update: After filing this in '39, I found I had another '39 Kanemichi, dated, and also with the Kiku Ichimongi!