Hard to read mei

[Lareon]

Hi everyone, Struggling to read this mei. Can anyone make it out? I currently don't have better pictures but any help would be appreciated. 

 

 

[Ray Singer]

The mei is incomplete due to the suriage nakago. 

 

Bushu Shitahara ju ___. 

 

No smith name present. 

[Lareon]

Thanks Ray, was finding this one difficult

[ROKUJURO]

A plain dark background instead of a white one would have increased the contrast and made reading easier.

Ray is a magician in this field!

[Geraint]

Perhaps modified to fit a kyugunto koshirae?

 

All the best.

[Lareon]

It's in standard gunto army mounts but it could have been in a kyu gunto before for sure, the shape fits, it has a kiri mon on it too so an interesting lineage. I've seen a couple of gunto with the kiri mon usually also having a mon engraved in the habaki, while pure conjecture, i see the habaki is missing from this sword so wonder if it was scavenged, obviously shall never know.

[ROKUJURO]

Tony,

a plain dark background instead of a white one would have increased the contrast, so details are much better seen.

HABAKI don't get lost, so there was certainly some sad history to the blade which is signed TACHI MEI, by the way.

 

[Lareon]

2 minutes ago, ROKUJURO said:

Tony,

a plain dark background instead of a white one would have increased the contrast, so details are much better seen.

HABAKO don't get lost, so there was certainly some sad history to the blade which is signed TACHI MEI, by the way.

 

Jean, 

These are not my photos.
I'm also unaware of what a HABAKO is, apologies.

 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Tony,

it is not about the photographer, it's about the photos. In case you want an applicable feedback, only good photos are helpful.

A HABAKO is a special form of typo. It is me to apologize!