Translation help

[RM1704]

Hello everyone

 

I found this sword, but unfortunately I haven't found any information about it. Can you help me?

 

1. Translation of the signature would be great
2. Who is the blacksmith? Is there any information about him?
3. How old could the sword be?

 

Thank you very much

Raphael

[Shugyosha]

Hi Raphael,

Inaba kuni ju Fujiwara Kanesaki. Hope that gets your research going. 

[nulldevice]

1. I believe it's: 因幡國住藤原兼先 - Inaba no Kuni ju Fujiwara Kanesaki

2. There are a number of generations signing Inaba/Inshu Kanesaki from ~1620 into the mid 1700s

3. See above.

 

This sword also has old papers which can be a caution, so make sure to do your research on the different smiths, and their signatures knowing that these white papers are considered outdated. 

 

[RM1704]

Thank you very much guys! That helps. 

 

It's gona be a long night

 

 

 

 

[Geraint]

Dear Raphael.

 

Just to add to Chandler's comments there are at least eight generations culminating in the last who worked at the end of the Shinshinto period.  Information is rather scarce so please do share what you find.

 

Some information here;  

 

 

Can we see the rest of the sword?

 

All the best.

[RM1704]

Hey Geraint

 

Thanks for the link.

Sure, will share, what I find.

Pics will follow, need to make good ones

 

Best regards R

[Toki]

Hi, 
I´m also in the process of getting a Kanesaki (attributed) Wakizashi

Edit: removed because i dont want to give false Information 

Edited July 12 by Toki

[Geraint]

Dear Erik.

 

Not sure where your information comes from but the general consensus is that the lineage started in Mino, circa Daiei 1521 - 1528.  At some point in Bunroku moved to Bizen and then became adopted as Ikeda clan smith and moved with the Ikeda to Tottori in 1616.  I have not found a record of the Kanesaki smiths moving out of Tottori when Ikeda MItsumasa moved to Okayama in 1632.

 

More research for us all.

 

All the best.

[Toki]

37 minutes ago, Geraint said:

Dear Erik.

 

Not sure where your information comes from

The seller who offered me the sword sent me a few things to read about Kanesaki smiths. I´m not sure where the texts come from. I will try to see from which book they are or if it just was my Translation.
Also, i might have wrote it a bit confusing. In the text it describes a first generation from Yamato Province, but its actually the 2nd one in Mino that adopted the name Kanesaki according to it. So i suppose that aligns with what you said.
I will try to find about more about the first guy.

[mecox]

Erik, as noted by Geraint the Kanesaki line remained in Tottori (Inaba).  There is differing info in the literature and were up to 8 or 10 generations.  Seems the tradition was they initially signed Kanetsugu and on becoming head of the Ha sihned as Kanesaki. 

Sesko gives a helpful  list of the various generations and dates as a guide. 

[Toki]

Seems i was in the wrong, sorry for the false Information.

@mecox would it be possible to link the list from Sesko? I would love to learn from it.

[mecox]

Erik, from Markus Sesko , Swordsmiths of Japan (2015):

KANESAKI (兼先), Tenbun (天文, 1532-1555), Inaba – “Kaneyoshi yori godai Kanesaki sandai saku” (従兼吉五代兼先三代作, “third generation Kanesaki, fifth generation after Kaneyoshi”), “Inshū-jū Fujiwara Kanesaki” (因州住藤原兼先), “Kanesaki saku” (兼先作).
KANESAKI (兼先), 1st gen., Keichō (慶長, 1596-1615), Bizen/Inaba – “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Kanesaki” (兼先), real name Heki Sō´emon (日置惣右郎), son of Heki Isuke (日置伊助), he came originally from Bizen province, the moving to Tottori (鳥取) to Inaba province took place in the ninth year of Kan´ei (1632), itame mixed with ko-mokume, gunome-midare, sanbonsugi, gunome with togariba.
KANESAKI (兼先), 2nd gen., Kan´ei (寛永, 1624-1644), Bizen/Inaba – “Kanseaki” (兼先), real name “Heki Sōjūrō” (日置惣十郎), son of Heki Sō´emon (日置惣右郎) and grandson of Heki Isuke (日置伊助), gunome with togariba, wazamono, chūjō-saku.
KANESAKI (兼先), 3rd gen., Kanbun (寛文, 1661-1673), Inaba – “Inshū Tottori-jū Kanesaki” (因州鳥取住兼先), “Inshū-jū Fujiwara Kanesaki” (因州住藤原兼先), “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Kanesaki” (兼先), he signed first with Kanetsugu (兼次), real name Heki Hyō´emon (日置兵右衛門), son of the 2nd gen., ko-mokume, regular gunome, also suguha, chūjō-saku.
KANESAKI (兼先), 4th gen., Jōkyō (貞享, 1684-1688), Inaba – “Inshū-jū Kanesaki (因州住兼先), “Kanesaki” (兼先), real name Heki Heisuke (日置兵助, the first name also reads Hyōsuke), chū-saku.
KANESAKI (兼先), 5th gen., Genroku (元禄, 1688-1704), Inaba – “Inshū-jū Fujiwara Kanesaki” (因州住藤原兼先), “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Kanesaki” (兼先), real name Heki Kurō´emon (日置九郎右衛門), according to tradition the son of the 2nd gen. Sōjūrō Kanesaki (惣十郎兼先), some sources list Jinroku Kanesaki (甚六兼先) from the Enkyō era (延享, 1744-1748) as 5th gen. Kanesaki.
KANESAKI (兼先), 6th gen., Shōtoku (正徳, 1711-1716), Inaba – “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Kanesaki” (兼先), real name Heki Ki´emon (日置喜右衛門), brother-in-law of the 5th gen. Kanesaki.
KANESAKI (兼先), 7th gen., Kyōhō (享保, 1716-1736), Inaba – “Inaba no Kuni Tottori-jū Kanesaki” (因幡国鳥取住兼先), “Kanesaki tsukuru” (兼先造), real name Heki Genjirō (日置源次郎), according to tradition the son of the 3rd gen. Hyō´emon Kanesaki (兵右衛門兼先).
KANESAKI (兼先), 8th gen., Enkyō (延享, 1744-1748), Inaba – “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Inshū-jū Fujikake Jinroku no Jō Fujiwara Kanesaki” (因州住藤掛甚六尉藤原兼先), real name Fujikake Jinroku (藤掛甚六), some sources list him as 5th gen., chū-saku
KANESAKI (兼先), 9th gen., Bunsei (文政, 1818-1830), Inaba – “Inshū-jū Kanesaki” (因州住兼先), “Inaba Fujiwara Kanesaki saku” (因幡藤原兼先作), “Myōichi Fujiwara Kanesaki” (妙一藤原兼先), “Myōichi Hōsetsu Nyūdō Kanesaki” (妙一峯雪入道兼先), real name Heki Yasaburō (日置矢三郎), student of Minryūshi Toshizane (眠龍子寿実), those sources who list Jinroku Kanesaki (甚六兼先) as 5th generation list Yasaburō Kanesaki as 6th gen., chūjō-saku.
KANESAKI (兼先), 10th gen., Kaei (嘉永, 1848-1854), Inaba – “Inshū Tottori-jū Kanesaki” (因州鳥取住兼先), those sources who list Jinroku Kanesaki (甚六兼先) as 5th generation list him as 7th gen.

[mecox]

As further information here are some summaries I produced back in 1993:

 

[RM1704]

Wow, thats great info, thank you mecox.

[Toki]

Thanks a lot mecox!