I recently came across a Showa period katana. I am having difficulty deciphering the maker's signature. I attended an antique arms show and showed it to a dealer who said he was unable identify the maker with certainty. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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March 1944
The signature is written in a difficult style (for me). I think the second "word" is Yokota, and perhaps the name is Masa-something.
The date (on the back side) is easy - it is March 1944.
Pete
smith name
Thank you, Pete.
I found a katana on auction on a japanese website with the same signature using the information you provided. The smith listed as Yagumo Yokota Masatome Saku. The sword on auction had a "Shrine Stamp". I'm not versed enough to know what that means. Is "Saku" a rating? The name came up on a database of smith ratings from 1944. Thank you much for your help.
Masatome
OK, very good. I see the one you found, on the Aoi Japan site.
What they're calling a "Minatogawa Shrine stamp" is a design called a "Kikusui", which means chrysanthemum on water.
The "Saku" means "made by".
Pete
Minatogawa smiths
See this:
http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/10709-kikusui-mon/
The first poster on the thread, Chris Bowen, is a bona-fide expert on 20th-century smiths.
What I've just read (briefly) is that Masatome is NOT a Minatogawa smith.
Pete
smith identification
This may not be the correct place for this. I've looked at everything and still can't figure out how to post my question on "Nihonto." Please excuse me. Does anyone know, or have information on smith "Bungo no kame Sukemune?" I understand around 1600. Thanks in advance for any info.
Swordsmith index
Try "Swordsmith index", on the left side of the page on this site.
Just enter "Sukemune" in the "Name" field.
To post your question, use "Create content".
Pete
Sukemune
Thank you for your reply. I did look, before. No: " Bungo no kame."