Translation please

[Ironheart]

I would greatly appreciate the translation of the Japanese on the tang from both my O-Wakizashi and Ko-Tachi please. This would be of A. and B., C. has no writing on it.

Some photos I posted in several angles to get a better view to make a translation.


photo A. Shinto O-Wakizashi cutting edge is 22.7 inches This blade is in full polish honoki wood shirasaya. I have the NBTHK paper work on this blade.....I am curious as to it being correct to blade.




Photo B. This has calligraphy on both sides of the tang. This is a Late Koto-Early Shinto Ko-Tachi cutting edge is 29 1/4



There once had been NBTHK origami attached that has long been lost. Some of the ink transferred onto the resting case hopefully it is legible. I do not have any current ranking for this blade. This blade is in near full polish with just a few flaws.



The remaining Tachi has no calligraphy on it's tang but the previous owner states it was a Koto Tachi with a 30 1/8 cutting edge. This is in above average polish having been in battle with a few issues.

Photo C.

[GHP]

Photos are not showing on my computer ... just a bunch of these boxes:

[Ironheart]

I will try again. I hope this worked.

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[Ironheart]

I noticed that the second one is hard to see it so I am showing a closer view of the top and another photo of the bottom half of the calligraphy.

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[GHP]

The smaller kanji are too degraded for my level to read. The main signature:
上野守久国
Kōzuke (no) Kami Hisakuni

Hisakuni, 1716, Tosa, Kozuke (no) Kami Hisakuni 上野守久国, Tosa ju Kozuke Daijo Fujiwara Hisakuni土佐住上野大掾藤原久国. Adopted son of Kozuke Daijo Kunimasu 国益 and a student of the nidai Hisamichi and died in 1741. Works are in similar styles as his teacher.

linky-thingy

[GHP]

The only part of the sayagaki that I can read is its length (a nice sized sword!)
二尺四寸五分
2-shaku 4-sun 5-bu
77.27061 cm, or 30.4215 inches

-- Guy

[BruceP]

The writing down the left side is the date, but the holes cut the kanji up, plus the corrosion, makes it really hard to see. I'm not a nihonto collector, but I'd guess this to be in the 1500-1600 era.

You might try the guys at the NMB Translation Assistance forum. They seem to have xray eyes for some of these really old kanji: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/forum...on-assistance/

[GHP]

The only era date I clearly see is the top one: 弘

I think this is 弘安 (1278 - 1288). It looks like the 8th year 八年
弘安八年二月
Kōan 8th Year [1285], February

-- Guy

[GHP]

Right-hand side:
I'm not confident at all with my "translation" .... but someone who is a native-reader might be able to get a hint or two from my attempt:
正翁子日壽於義弘館鍛之

正翁 Shō−ō / Masaoki / Seiō -- place name or personal name? Can be pronounced probably more than these three.

子日壽 Heck if I know!

於 Oite: At

義弘 Yoshihiro; Yoshihiro is a given name or art-name.

館 kan; hall/building

鍛 Kitae, tan; Forged

之 kore; This
=====

Your time starts .... NOW. Good luck, gentlemen!

-- Guy
(Please not to laugh!!!)

[merdock]

can we see the whole sword.

[BruceP]

Wow Guy, you are amazing!

[Ironheart]

I am totally blown away! Thank you so much! These blades are only in their resting saya. That first one has it's ranking papers and your information matched with it. I wanted to make sure because there are a lot of fake papers about these days.

[Ironheart]

The O-Wakizashi was from Kareem Abdul Jabbar's Japanese Sword collection. (That is what the rep told me) It is in full polish and in my opinion is the most elegant blade I have ever owned.

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[Ironheart]

Here is one of the Tachi with the signed tang.

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[Ironheart]

This is the other Tachi without a signed tang.

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