Asking for some help on a fuchi mei

[Jaron]

Hello all,

 

I was hoping someone might recognize this mei on this fuchi. I got it in a set of miscellaneous fittings from an old, unopened WWII chest. I have tried many things from searching through as many sites as I could find for likeness, searched this site using the reference pages on kanji, using a picture of it on Google’s picture match, tried to copy the mei from the picture’s OCR(both editing in the best sketching over what I see close up), trying the online Kanji app to see if I could come close, to also using Sesko’s Tosogu Mei index I found on here using what I believe is the first Kanji character, Mitsu. I think I am at my wits end with such a simplistic mei. I like to try and figure it out myself and have another one signed from the set that I just figured out is Yasuyuki. Very beautiful work he did.

 

As stated, I believe the first character “could be” Mitsu but the second “character” almost looks like a cursive character vs. normal mei kanji. I would appreciate anyone’s suggestions. Thank you much in advance.

 

Also, very sad news about Ford. I didn’t know him, but followed his work, his sites, and watched all his videos. What an amazing man.

 

I have edited the pictures so they aren’t too sizable but maintain quality.

 

Regards,

 

Jeff

[Ray Singer]

Perhaps 光永 - Mitsunaga

[Jaron]

Thanks Ray, I saw that in the index but haven’t been able to match the mei yet like it is done on this one. I also didn’t think this would pass for a Goto school artist.  I’ll keep looking at that, though. I also thought it might incorporate the radical shown below but can’t find any characters fitting that.

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

This Mitsunaga came up here on the NMB a few weeks ago.

[Jaron]

Thanks Piers. Yes you are right. Going down that path, the picture below was the closest I could find of a mei even somewhat close to Goto Mitsunaga. The Mitsu character is similar, but then the second character is certainly an odd “naga” character but I didn’t think given both things, it could be close. Could also just be a gimei.

 

Jeff

 

 

[Jaron]

Also, Richard Turner used to have a blog that looks like it stopped in 2015 but had a paper by Mosle on the Goto Shirobei family that had many examples and a chart of the Goto Shirobei Pupils that I have not been able to find any where else. The chart on the website is too small to read and used to have a link to a site where it was larger but obviously no more. Here is the page, Part 3” that has the chart. 

 

https://richardturne...ily-by-mosle-part-3/

 

Would anyone know where this chart can be found? It is a valuable chart that should be out there.

 

Jeff

[SteveM]

The one on your fuchi is 光永 (Mitsunaga)

The one on the fuchi above is 光長 (also Mitsunaga, but with a different character for naga. Same pronunciation but different character).

[Jaron]

Thank you Steve. I did read somewhere that the he was fairly liberal with ways he signed the second character. It’s a funky way to write the Mitsu as well. More like a Z shape with an offshoot for the other leg.

 

Jeff