Naotane Katana with KAO, stamp and Horimono

[Mormo]

Hello Gentelmen!

I found this interesting piece of Art on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com...r=artemis&media=COPY

Seller writing it's Shoji Mino no Suke Naotane, but Mei on my opinion doesn't look like.

I know this sword smith had many techniques, Mei signature and also a lot of unproven pieces.

I will be glad if forum members help to understand more about this blade.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

[Brian]

Just search the seller's name here.
That will tell you everything you need to know. Buy the sword...the name is fake.

[Mormo]

Thank you very much Brian!

Didn't expect seller's name here.

[Brian]

Just to clarify, with the above, I am not saying my recommendation is to buy the sword. What I mean is that with this seller, if you are looking at an item, consider it based on the work itself and ignore the mei, as it is likely going to be gimei.

The old saying, buy the sword, not the mei applies to most unpapered swords.

[Bruce Pennington]

I'm not saying this mei is legit, but having just learned that Naotane made kokuin for city names where he made a sword in his travels, could this be a city or province name?

 

Anyone able to make anything of this? 

[BIG]

Hi Bruce, kokuin for Kyoto

 

Best

[Bruce Pennington]

19 hours ago, BIG said:

Hi Bruce, kokuin for Kyoto

 

Best

Thanks Peter! 

I'm going to file this in the Naotane files, with a note that it may be gimei.  Brian doesn't believe it's legit, and the brown color on the nakago looks like a liquid coating was applied, maybe to fake age/patina?  Yet, if faked, the fakers knew of Naotane's practice of hot stamping city names.  That's certainly possible as the Japanese fakers would have to know their smiths if they are going to be good at it.  Yet it seems a tad bit more than you expect in modern gimei producers.  

 

So, I'll file this one with a caveat.