Wazikashi Translation

[dasboot2011]

Hi all,

Picked up a wazikashi in civilian mounts. Looking for assistance with translation. Thinking it might be an old one. I’ll work on decent pics of the blade.

[GHP]

I love that tsuba, I used to have one that could have been its twin brother.


肥州隈本住 .....
Hishū Kumamoto-jū..... [the maker's name is cut off]
Hishū [Higo] Prefecture, Resident of Kumamoto .....

That second kanji is an archaic way of writing 州, shū/province; it comprises three 刀 [katana/sword] stacked like this kanji: 㐂 [by the way 㐂 is archaic for 喜び, yorokobi/joy]. I can't find the triple-刀 kanji, but I'm certain I saw it online somewhere.

[One hour later.....]

Okay .... I give up; had to go to The New Nelson Japanese-English Character Dictionary, p.147, radical #18 刀; see image.

If anyone can find that kanji, please send it to me so I can add the link to my nonstandard kanji list.


--Guy

[dasboot2011]

I love that tsuba, I used to have one that could have been its twin brother.


肥州隈本住 .....
Hishū Kumamoto-jū..... [the maker's name is cut off]
Hishū [Higo] Prefecture, Resident of Kumamoto .....



That second kanji is an archaic way of writing 州, shū/province; it comprises three 刀 [katana/sword] stacked like this kanji: 㐂 [by the way 㐂 is archaic for 喜び, yorokobi/joy]. I can't find the triple-刀 kanji, but I'm certain I saw it online somewhere.




--Guy

Thank you Guy, that was very fast and as always extremely helpful! It is a nice tsuba.

[dasboot2011]

Here’s the blade. No major flaws or damage but some surface rust patches. Just leave them be is best bet I guess? Nice temper is visible.

Any thoughts on age roughly, or just safe to say edo?

[dasboot2011]

Hek

[Beater]

Tosho tsuba

That type of tsuba is known as a Tosho tsuba. They were made by swordsmiths and armourers rather than tsuba craftsmen. It pre-dates your wakizashi and may be Muromachi or Momoyama era?

[dasboot2011]

That type of tsuba is known as a Tosho tsuba. They were made by swordsmiths and armourers rather than tsuba craftsmen. It pre-dates your wakizashi and may be Muromachi or Momoyama era?

Interesting, thank you!

[Beater]

Interesting

I could find only a small number of smiths who signed Hishu Kumamoto...etc and sadly, none of those I found used the unusual form of "shu" which Guy discusses earlier. The smith below is interesting however, because he also uses an unusual and early kanji in his way of writing the first character in Kumamoto, and is the only one amongst those I found using that feature as seen on your wakizashi.

I'm not saying he's your man and I'm not betting anyone, because I never do - but if anyone has a better suggestion, let's hear it. The deep chiseling and general appearance of the tang do not suggest great age, so the period of Ujisada might be good?

UJISADA (氏貞), Kansei (寛政, 1789-1801), Higo/Satsuma – “Hishū-jū Ujisada” (肥州住氏貞), “Hishū Kumamoto-jū Ujisada” (肥州隈本住氏貞), real name Takei Sadayoshi (武井貞吉, the first name can also read Sadakichi and Teikichi), it is interesting that he signed the place name Kumamoto with the characters (隈本) which were officially changed in the twelfth year of Keichō (慶長, 1607) to (熊本), later he moved to Satsuma province and studied there under Masayoshi (正幸)

[dasboot2011]

I could find only a small number of smiths who signed Hishu Kumamoto...etc and sadly, none of those I found used the unusual form of "shu" which Guy discusses earlier. The smith below is interesting however, because he also uses an unusual and early kanji in his way of writing the first character in Kumamoto, and is the only one amongst those I found using that feature as seen on your wakizashi.

I'm not saying he's your man and I'm not betting anyone, because I never do - but if anyone has a better suggestion, let's hear it. The deep chiseling and general appearance of the tang do not suggest great age, so the period of Ujisada might be good?

UJISADA (氏貞), Kansei (寛政, 1789-1801), Higo/Satsuma – “Hishū-jū Ujisada” (肥州住氏貞), “Hishū Kumamoto-jū Ujisada” (肥州隈本住氏貞), real name Takei Sadayoshi (武井貞吉, the first name can also read Sadakichi and Teikichi), it is interesting that he signed the place name Kumamoto with the characters (隈本) which were officially changed in the twelfth year of Keichō (慶長, 1607) to (熊本), later he moved to Satsuma province and studied there under Masayoshi (正幸)

Thanks for the lead! I will look up some examples. The age would make sense I bought the sword guessing 18/19th century. Interesting it got paired with the tsuba over the years. Also I have some pictures of the menuki to share. The handle is horrible and falling apart, found this under scotch tape.