Japanese sword

[Charlie55]

Can someone please tell me what this says on a sword I have thank you charlie

[ghp95134]

Hi Charlie,

肥州河内大掾藤原正廣
Hishū Kawachi no Daijō Fujiwara Masahiro

From Markus Sesko's Japanese Swordsmiths:
[Note: Sesko uses the modern simplified kanji, so 廣 is rendered as 広]


MASAHIRO (正広), 4th gen., Hōei (宝永, 1704-1711), Hizen – “Hishū Kawachi no Daijō Tōshi Masahiro” (肥州河内大掾藤氏正広), “Hizen no Kuni Kawachi no Daijō Fujiwara Masahiro” (肥前国河内大掾藤原正広), real name Hashimoto Tomonoshin (橋本友之進), he signed in early years with Takemasa (武雅), the name change to Masahiro took place with receiving of the honorary title Kawachi no Daijō on the 27th day of the fourth month Hōei five (1708), he died on the 17th say of the fourth month Kyōhō 18 (享保, 1733) at the age of 61, notare mixed with gunome-ashi, suguha, gunome-midare, chūjō-saku
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Chūjō-saku ranking means: (also from Sesko)
Fujishiro followed a contextual approach, that means the ranking of a smith has to be seen in the context of his school and production time. That means a kotō-era jō-saku smith from one of the famous schools might be superior to a shintō-era jōjō-saku smith for example. Fujishiro’s five ranks are as follows:

• saijō-saku (最上作) Supreme made (i.e. grand-master)
• jōjō-saku (上々作) Superior-superior made (i.e. highly superior)
• jō-saku (上作) Superior made (i.e. superior)
• chūjō-saku (中上作) Superior medium made (i.e. above average)
• chū-saku (中作) Medium made (i.e. average)

-- Guy

[Charlie55]

Thanks again for translating this.