Blade Date

[LUIS22]

Hello Guys,

 

 

I was told that this blade was made by: Harima Daijo Fujiwara Shigetaka/ Echizen Ju(living in Echizen)

 

Is it possible to determine the aprox date the blade was made??

 

thanks,

 

Luis

 

 

[John A Stuart]

Without a date and meticulous research on the signature, hard to pin down. Is it shodai or nidai? Shodai 1600 to 1624, the best of this line. Nidai 1624 to 1661, less good, but, respectable. John

[Geraint]

Hi Luis.

 

Well already you have narrowed the dates down quite significantly, only first generation Shigetaka and second generation signed with the Harima daijo title, hence the comment from John. I am particularly interested as I have looked at their work and would love to see pictures of your blade. Especially as there seems to be a narrow shinogi running very close to the ha on the signed side of the nakago. Is the blade an unusual shape?

 

Worth getting a copy of "Cutting Edge: Japanese Swords in the British Museum" By Victor Harris as there are three blades by Shigetaka illustrated well.

 

For what it is worth, which is not a great deal, the signature seems to have a characteristic upward flick on the left hand side of horizontal strokes, something which I have noted in second generation signatures. Once again pictures of the blade may help more knowledgeable viewers assign a period and hence a generation.

 

Good hunting and please share what you find.