Sword mei odd?

[gtstcactus]

I went to an auction viewing tonight...

 

Not much in the way of Japanese swords but there was one with an average blade but the mei got me curious..

I was not allowed to photo it.... but there was a bit of paper with it with a supposed translation.

 

One side apparenly said Living in Echiczen. The other side (turn sword over) supposedly said Lord of Hohki and Hirotaka Fujiwara. It said the maker was Hirotaka Fujiwara. I'm surpried no date was on there (could have been) I didn't have my books and it wasn't practical for me to try translating it!

 

Now I don't know who did the translation or if they got it right or not.... How does that sound? Would it have been made for the Lord of Hohki?

[paulb]

sounds like an honary title given to the sword smith which is normally put before the clan name in this case fujiwara and then his art name Hirotaka. Not someone I am familiar with so cant comment on accurracy or authenticity of the translation. The normal order is province, title clan name smiths name. For example

Hizen -place he works

Omi Daijo- title

Fujiwara -clan name

Tadahiro -the smiths working name.

[Ray Singer]

Echizen-ju

Hoki (no) kami Fujiwara Hirotaka

 

Here is another example:

http://www.sanmei.com/contents/media/H1 ... PUP_E.html

[cspage]

Here is a description of Hirotaka from Andy Quirt in reference to a Hirotaka wakizashi I purchased from him.

 

Echizen Hoki no Kami Hirotaka was active around Meireki (1655 - 1658). He was of the Echizen Shimosaka school, and his style is close to that of Harima Daijo Shigetaka. He is rated Chujosaku in Nihon Toko Jiten - Shinto Hen by Fujishiro, valued at 3,500,000 yen in Shibata's Toko Taikan, and listed with a double triangle in Nihonto Meikan.

 

Colin