one Kanji mei ?!

[cisco-san]

Dear all,

 

I saw a tanto signed just with "右". I read this as "Uri" (see Pic1) but maybe there is another meaning as well. Only one Kanji is strange for me.

Additionally on the other site there is a sign I have never seen (Pic2).

 

Has somebody an idea?

[george trotter]

hi Cisco san,

there is a swordsmith who used this single character as his mei...he is recorded in Hawley 1981 as "U" of Harima c.1702. He also had a long signature. There were a number of koto smiths recorded as this name in the 1020s and 1108-42 period in Rikuoku. Can't say much more...

Regards,

Geo.

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Klaus,

Looks like a misspelling of "Sa", as in O-Sa, the renowned smith from Chikuzen and founder of the Sa School. No idea about the mark on the other side.

Grey

[Bugyotsuji]

Sa means left 左　and U 右　means right. Sa were famous. There was at least one Kanbun smith who signed with this one 右　character only, as George says.

[cisco-san]

Many thanks for information!!

[Takahashi]

Hi Klaus,

 

Thanks for posting this thread. It was quite interesting to see that some swordsmiths even signed with only one kanji mei.

By the way I think the mei looks certainly more like U 右 than Sa 左.

But I am still curious what kind of symbol might be stamped on the other side of the nakago. Regarding the assumed age of the blade, it cannot be a showa stamp. Could it be a (very small) Chrysanthemum?

 

Cheers,

[Jean]

It was quite interesting

to see that some swordsmiths even signed with only one kanji mei.

 

Most famous one : 一

[Jacques]

Hi,

 

Most famous one : 一

 

Jean,

If you talk about one smith you are wrong, if you talk about several you are right

[Jean]

Among them, I am sure the most famous one signed like this :D

[b.hennick]

Hi:

I have a blade by Hayama Enshin that is signed ichi i.e. one character. It is an unokubi tsukuri tanto. He sometimes signed ichi choensai hayama enshin. Small blade - just ichi.

[Jean]

一

 

Now the "one" question : Should it be considered as an egocentric mei? :D

[Takahashi]

Regarding the single stroke, I would consider it rather puristic than egocentric .

Reminds me somehow of the Bauhaus style .

 

Cheers,