Is there something about "Kanju"?

[GoldenDrachen]

Hello gentlemen

 

I am seeking for some clarification or info on the name "Kanju"

Recently I have bought this tsuba

 

 

I was told that Mei reads"Suzuki Kanju"

 

 

I tried to find anything about this master

But nothing, apart from this tsuba

 

To me "Kanju" carving is practically identical.

Then in the book

I found this:

 

It says "Reads Motonaga"

 

Can anyone tell something about this man?

 

Regards

Vitaly 

[SteveM]

Motonaga/Kanju is using a different first kanji (幹寿 vs. 寛寿), so forget about Motonaga for now. 

 

The metalsmith in your first post is 鈴木寛寿（or 寛壽 using the old style kanji for 寿). I can't be sure of the pronunciation, but it is either Suzuki Kanju, or possibly Suzuki Hirotoshi. Both readings are valid, but unfortunately the references do not always tell us which reading the smith himself used, and so we have to take an educated guess at how some smiths pronounced their names. Be that as it may, "Hirotoshi" and/or "Kanju" are both valid pronunciations of the kanji 寛壽.

 

Suzuki Kanju (or Suzuki Hirotoshi) is a late Edo-era metalsmith, according to the researcher/author Takeshi Wakayama.

 

The smith in your 3rd picture is Ichiyōken Kanju (or Ichiyōken Hirotoshi), who is yet again another (different) metalsmith.

Ichiyōken Kanju was also a late Edo-era metalsmith, but he appears to be unconnected with Suzuki Kanju.

 

It isn't uncommon for there to be multiple smiths who each used the same art name.  

 

[GoldenDrachen]

Thank you, Steve!

Could you please tell me , is Suzuki Kanju/ Hirotoshi included in the book 刀装小道具銘字大系? If yes which volume?

 

 

[SteveM]

Hello Vitaly - I'm sorry I do not have that book. I have Wakayama's "刀装金工事典", and Suzuki Kanju appears on page 67.