Assistance please - sword fitting

[Beater]

Koshirae are outside my comfort zone...this fuchi is on a tanto with a Koto period Sukesada blade. Can anyone throw any light on the maker please? Thanks in anticipation.

[BruceP]

Wow, Beater! Lots of writing for a fuchi. Hopefully our beloved Guy will see this!.

[GHP]

江戸住 奈良作
Edo-jū Nara Saku
Made by Nara, Resident of Edo

While searching I found lots of tsuba made by "Nara-saku". For example:


source

Oh! Here's a fuchi:

source
Note the hand is a bit different in the way 作 "saku" is carved.



--Guy

[Beater]

Many thanks indeed Guy. I appreciate your kind input.

So I guess this purports to be the work of the Nara school rather than being named to a particular metal-worker of that school?

[Bob Coleman]

It was not uncommon for sword fittings to be signed with a school name in lieu of that of an artisan. Examples include Soten and Myochin.

[Beater]

It was not uncommon for sword fittings to be signed with a school name in lieu of that of an artisan. Examples include Soten and Myochin.

Thank you Bob, I'm getting my head round this (slightly!). Most of my collecting has been military-mounted swords and for that reason, I've not given koshirae much attention. I actually translated the "Nara" kanji and said to myself, "That doesn't sound like a (person's) name", completely overlooking the place name, so out went a cry for help.

Since Guy did the translation, I've Googled and found many similarly signed examples and in slightly differing hands, suggesting more than one person signed in that way, so I now assume it is "of the school" rather than one person's work. Never too old to learn!

[Bob Coleman]

Thank you for the "thank you." Many kodogu artists who signed by name used very unusual kanji which are sometimes hard to decipher.