Dear Sirs, I'm from a fencer's family, we always like sword and now, I practice martial arts and have a budo shop in Paris. My request is about a old wakisashi Meï (signature). This wakisashi is about 52,8cm lenght, in a Satsuma's Koshirae. The nakago looks like old sword with red rust. The sword was in bad state but i'm making a cleaning with shirasaya koshirae. Just waiting the result to be able to see the original work. The Mei seems made with 3 kanji (maybe 4) the 2 last are 'Hisakuni' 久國. I have ask to japanese friends and other persons like Mr Tsuruta (Aoi-Art), no one can tell who is the swordsmith. In waiting your help, thank you for your colaboration! Thanks, Yannick
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Photos
Do you have any pictures of the whole blade?
New pictures - Hisakuni - Unknow mei (signature)
Thank you for your reply!
I add some pictures of the blade.
It was in very bad state, it is very difficult to see the work.
In first time, the polisher has revealed the hamon of the kissaki to know if it was entire.
I'm waiting the finishing of the work in about 2 months.
Hope to know who is this swordsmith, thank you for your help.
Yannick
Hisakuni
There are a few smiths named Hisakuni in the swordsmith database here. The fact that one is a national treasure might point to it being gimei, but I'm not sure what the first character is. Maybe someone else on here can shed some light? It looks to me like the blade may have been shorted, but it's still hard to see the shape of the blade from the photos. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will chip in soon.
Unknow Hisakuni
Thanks for your reply!
I have seen many Mei with 'hisakuni' but never with the first (or two first) kanjis.
I've thinked it was a gimei but... the first kanjis are different of the kanji used by other 'Hisakuni' and the other Hisakuni have used just 2, 5 or more kanjis and never 3 or 4
The first(s) kanji(s) is another one for japanese and till now, no one tells me it can be a wrong kanji(s).
My japanese contacts tell me it's can be a very old kanji, not used since many centuries.
If someone can help me, i will be very grateful!
Kanji
The first character could be motte. The second looks a bit like the kanji for nori?
Motte; with,by, of.
Nori; rule; follow; based on; model after.
I can't see any other reference to these kanji being used together, or what they would mean in this context.
Thank you Looper for this
Thank you Looper for this answer, it's an interesting possibility.
It will made : 以 則 久 國
Are they the kanji you had thinked?
The kanji for motte I saw was
The kanji for motte I saw was on a Yasutsugu sword and looked very much like the character on your sword. It's used in the context of "motte namban tetsu" or (made) with foreign steel. I can't see how to add the image but if you do quick google search you should find an example.
It's just an idea, not much help really. Good luck with it.