Very faint kura mei!

[Viper6924]

Hi guys!

 

Here´s an old kura with a Hosokawa mon. Aged with grace, I guess.

 

There is a signature and perhaps a date on it. It´s very very faint. I don´t think it will be possible to read completely, but any help would be fantastic.

 

Two kao on each side and then what I belive to be a signature and date on the side.

 

This is detective work on the highest level :D

 

 

Jan

[Bugyotsuji]

Maybe if we attack somewhere and reduce it letter by letter?

 

1. Do people see 知義　there?

[Viper6924]

Seems more and more like a job for CSI...

 

Jan

[IanB]

I would hazard a guess at the date being Genroku ?

Ian Bottomley

[Justin Grant]

It's more than likely incorrect, but I see ni gatsu suiyoubi (2nd month, Wednesday) 二月　水

[Viper6924]

First a big thanks to You guys trying to help me

with this almost impossible translation.

I will be away from my camera until next saturday.

Will try to take some other pictures with some dif lighting.

Perhaps it can help. This must be a tough one when even Morita-san

cant help

 

Jan

[Viper6924]

Well this is the best I can do without contacting the swedish secret service :D

 

Perhaps the date signs is a bit clearer. What I think is a possible signature on the left side is still hard to read, to say the least.

 

Would be sweet to be able to get a time period out of this.

 

Fingers crossed!!!

 

 

Jan

[kunitaro]

I think

稲葉　知義

[Viper6924]

Thanks a lot for Your help, Kunitaro! You have fantastic eyes.

What would be the english translation?

Thanks again, Kunitaro, for helping me with this headache.

 

Jan

[kunitaro]

Sorry,

稲葉　知義

Inaba Tomoyoshi

[Viper6924]

Wow, we got a name. I was pretty sure that the name part of this signature would be close to impossible to read. But using a magnifying glass I can only agree with Your reading, Kunitaro.

And Piers, I belive you also was on the right track. to both of you.

Trying to find any useful info in english about old Japanese saddle makers is almost impossible, I guess. A quick search on the net and in my books gilded nothing.

 

How about the date? Justin is as far as I can see (magnifying glass again) right about "ni gatsu suiyoubi" (2nd month, Wednesday) 二月　水

Is any of the other kanjis workable? The three kanjis on the right side of 二月　水 looks like they could be cracked. But I could be wrong

 

We are def getting somewhere. A million thanks!!!

 

Jan

[CSM101]

Okay, I called CSI Wladiwostok. And this is, what I got. Which photo should be enhanced then now?

 

Uwe G.

[Viper6924]

Always go with the russians, Uwe

 

If You could call them back about the "date" side of this signature...

 

At this point any help is of great value. Would love a timeframe here.

 

Jan

[kunitaro]

it could be

元治元年　

Genji Gan-nen 1864-5

[CSM101]

I hope, I got it somehow right.

 

Greetings

 

Uwe G.

[Viper6924]

CSI Wladiwostok is def better at this then CSI Stockholm, I must say. Thats the best version so far, by a mile.

 

I guess we can conclude that kanji no 1+3 is 元. Both Ian and Kunitaro have spotted it. Kanji no 2 治 is a def possibility

 

as Kunitaro says.

 

The fourth one is a tricky on. Well, almost everyone is in this case :D

 

Genji (元治) being the emperor for only one year 1864. Followed by Keio 65-68. What does this Gan-nen (元年 ?) means in this context?

 

Thanks again for moving this forward, guys!!!

 

Jan