Please help me identify the maker of two Kozuka recently acquired -

[LeonLop]

This first one I think is Sōju (?) however, the second character (LHS) is hard to confirm...what do others think?

 

 

Can someone kindly suggest to whom this signature might belong?

 

Thanking everyone in advance.

 

Kind Regards, Leon

[ROKUJURO]

Leon,

your request is best posted under "Translation", I think.

[Nobody]

I guess that the first one is

宗孝 – Soko/Munetaka (reading?).

[Matsunoki]

The first one looks like it’s been put on with a gold pen in the same way as we see on some nakago nowadays. I hope I’m wrong.can we see the face sides please?

[LeonLop]

On 5/3/2024 at 5:43 PM, ROKUJURO said:

Leon,

your request is best posted under "Translation", I think.

Yes, I understand. I will repost this content in that section...Thank

 

On 5/3/2024 at 5:45 PM, Nobody said:

I guess that the first one is

宗孝 – Soko/Munetaka (reading?). 

Thank you!

 

On 5/3/2024 at 6:01 PM, Matsunoki said:

The first one looks like it’s been put on with a gold pen in the same way as we see on some nakago nowadays. I hope I’m wrong.can we see the face sides please?

 

On 5/3/2024 at 6:01 PM, Matsunoki said:

The first one looks like it’s been put on with a gold pen in the same way as we see on some nakago nowadays. I hope I’m wrong.can we see the face sides please?

I have attached additional images as requested. There is nothing about this piece that would suggest to me that it is anything other than a work from the 19th century. The gold seal, to me at least, does not have the striations of a modern gold pen. The signature is confidently done...however, I did not acquire this piece based just on the signature - I was drawn to its composition, subject matter, and obvious artistic merit. It is more of an academic interest for me to de-code the signature. I'm interested in your thoughts on the piece... Thanks again for your help

[Matsunoki]

46 minutes ago, LeonLop said:

I have attached additional images as requested.

Leon, thanks for the images. The kozuka is without doubt a perfectly genuine Edo (imo) piece and of good quality and with good subject matter …..but I cannot agree that the seal is confidently done. The outline is very irregular and wanders around quite a bit and crosses over the background design. Just doesn’t look right. Maybe someone else can comment? Compare it to the precision of the seal on the second example that you show us.

[kyushukairu]

Leon, the signature on the second picture appears to be 'Monokenmori Teizui' [物軒森貞隨].
I checked my books, and whilst there is no record of this artist, they are almost certainly affiliated with the Hamano school.

[LeonLop]

Thank you Kyle,

 

Another person has suggested that the kanji in the seal and the last two characters of the carved signature may read 'Sadayuki'. Could this be an alternative reading...?

 

 

[LeonLop]

Here is an image of the front of the piece...