Sword Translation

[Sawyer21]

Hello,

I was given a sword by my father that was my grandfather’s. I’m have some difficulty translating the maker’s mark. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[Majestic]

越前住下坂

Echizen-ju Shimosaka

 

[Toritoribe]

The name of the swordsmith is 正坂 Masasaka.

 

[Sawyer21]

越前住下坂

Echizen-ju Shimosaka

Thank you!

 

[Sawyer21]

The name of the swordsmith is 正坂 Masasaka.

Thank you!

 

[Majestic]

I think this belongs to the Echizen Shimosaka group.
I can't find any swordsmith named Masasaka, while the Shimosaka group is well known with many similar examples of signatures.

AS20224-脇差：下坂-Wakizashi: Shimosaka | 葵美術

脇差：白鞘入り(保存刀剣) 銘：下坂 当社では刀工の出来によって最上作、上々作、上作、普通作を記載しております 本作の出来は下坂としては上々作にランクされる作品です。 研磨済み はばき：金着一重 刃長:40.3センチ 反り:1.1センチ 目釘穴:1個 元幅:3.26センチ 重ね:0.68センチ 時代：江戸時代初期 体配：身幅が広く重ね厚くがっしりとした大振り平打の脇差 地鉄：板目肌よく練れて地錵が付き黒味のする地金で肌立ち野趣に富んだ地金となる。 刃紋：小錵出来賞互の目乱れややばさつき 室町期の作風を踏襲された刃紋で帽子丸く 錵が深く金筋が働く。...

www.sword-auction.jp

越前住下坂銘 白鞘入り 脇差

越前住下坂銘 白鞘入り 脇差

bocho-kobidou.com

The horizontal line under the 下 and the line vertical line next to it make it look like 正, but I think this one is 下 (and the other lines around it are either mistakes, or unrelated scratches.)

 

[Toritoribe]

Oh, I should have written "the name inscribed there" instead of "the name of the swordsmith".

signatures like “Echizen-jû Shimosaka”, often added by Echizen smiths on the ura side of the tang, were sometimes changed to “Echizen-jû Masasaka” (越前住正坂)

March 2014 – Markus Sesko

7 posts published by Markus Sesko during March 2014

markussesko.com

 

[Majestic]

I've read that piece before, and I've completely forgotten about it. Good call.