Curious kanji

[IBot]

Every so often something comes along that causes a bit of head scratching. Almost invariably, my trusty, well-thumbed and re-bound copy of Koop & Inada will supply an answer, and when it fails it is almost invariably because of my stupidity. I also recourse to Nelson's 'Character Dictionary' when I can see a radical as it is often quicker. I now find myself in a position where all attempts to find a kanji, both in any of my books and on-line and, since it appears to be the first kanji of a name, I have reached an impasse. The tale began a couple of weeks ago with the acquisition of a rather imposing aikuchi. The blade is unsigned and at first I thought the mounts were as well but to my surprise I found a well written inscription on the rear of the kozuka that I illustrate here. Much of it I can read and I find the reason for the isolated 4 kanji at the top  rather curious. The meaning of this, and I am paraphrasing, is something along the lines of -'Never try to serve two masters at the same time'. So far so good. Thenn we have the name Ishii Yojiro Minamoto ? yoshi - kao. I would be grateful if anyone can identify the mysterious kanji.

Ian Bottomley

[SteveM]

Variation of 直 or 道 would be my guess, but nothing in Wakayama backs up this guess.

I can't find any reference to metalsmiths using the Ishii name. 

[Tanto54]

Hi Ian, hope you are doing well. I still owe you one from about 20 years ago (when you helped me with a Jingasa...)  I think your mystery kanji may be 恒. 

[Nobody]

  On 3/12/2023 at 3:53 PM, IBot said:

................................ Much of it I can read and I find the reason for the isolated 4 kanji at the top  rather curious. The meaning of this, and I am paraphrasing, is something along the lines of -'Never try to serve two masters at the same time'. 

....................................................

 

 

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I think that the interpretation is not correct.

The true meaning is "Never serve two masters through his life (不仕二君)".

[Van]

My guess the mysterious kanji is 恆. Which is a variant of  恒, as Tanto54 suggested above. My reference books do not list any 恒祥 though.

 

[Kiipu]

@BANGBANGSAN Care to take a crack at it?  I am not really seeing the suggestions above.

[BANGBANGSAN]

@Kiipu  Any info for the 石井要次郎 源恆祥?

[BANGBANGSAN]

  On 3/13/2023 at 2:19 PM, Kiipu said:

@BANGBANGSAN Care to take a crack at it?  I am not really seeing the suggestions above.

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“不仕二君” usually refers to a person who does not serve or belong to two masters, indicating that he or she is hired or controlled by two different masters, but does not explicitly pledge allegiance to either one. This term may have been used historically to describe officials or generals who served two different masters at the same time, such as in some periods of Chinese history.

 

石井要次郎  源恆祥    Ishii Yoichiro Minamoto Yasushi

[Kiipu]

OK, so every one was correct after all, just an old versus new thing.

石井要次郞源恆祥 = 石井要次郎源恒祥

[IBot]

Whilst taking the blade out of the koshirae the other day, it dawned on me what this sword is all about. It has a screwed mekugi, the thread of which is absolutely modern in appearance. Pre-Meiji Japanese were never really comfortable with screw threads, most of which look very dodgy. That this sword has such a well cut thread would date the koshirae to the Boshin wars, a date of production that explains the reference to two masters (the Emperor and Shogun) and why there is no record of an Ishii maker of fittings - the whole sword industry packed up before the guy was recorded.  

Ian B

[Bugyotsuji]

You may well be right, Ian, a sort of 名鑑漏れ Meikan more'. I have had a pretty good look around, but there is at least one more larger work of reference which I would still want to check.

 

PS The reading above of "石井要次郎  源恆祥    Ishii Yoichiro Minamoto Yasushi"...............  should probably be Yojiro.