Mystery Katana

[hs132]

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[hs132]

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[b-m-n_animal]

I seem to remember being told in one of the UK To-Ken society meetings that this might be an attributed signature in gold if the tang hasnt been shortend.

[Edokko]

It's a tameshigiri mei "look-alike". No good.

[hs132]

It's a tameshigiri mei "look-alike". No good.

Greetings and thanks for your help. When was this done? Was this done hundreds of years ago, this century? As far as I know its been in the late Vets. closet since the war. Best, Bill

[Edokko]

Bill, unfortunately, the problem is that the kinzogan Kanji does not even read right on some of the portions and believe this may have been done by a very crafty non-Japanese, non-Chinese, who did quite a job but did not have the real ability to read or write Kanji, let alone engrave them correctly onto the tang. Post 1945 for sure.

[checkit]

The characters look awkward, but I would be surprised if this was done post 1945. I think it was done to fool a Japanese buyer way back when. I have certainly seen worse Gimei from back then.

[hs132]

Hello, if this is actually gold and done post war one would think an expensive effort was made to boost the value of a poor blade. Maybe the late Vet. picked it up post war somewhere in the Japanese region.

[Edokko]

Nahh, no way that those funky looking Kanji strokes and Kanji look-alikes can be done by any Japanese hand knowledgable enough to attempt faking a kinzogan tameshigiri mei like this.

[BryanD]

Another thing to remember is that there were Japanese signature forgers hundreds of years ago also. Mans inate disposition to go for a dishonest buck takes in all cultures, races and time periods.
I do not think that the signature in discussion is an old forgery just something cooked up to fool.