Cut Tester Name, Please?

[Bruce Pennington]

Can I get the name above the kao on this one.  I think it's a cut tester name.  Came from the JSSUS site.

[Bugyotsuji]

由清 Yoshikiyo perhaps?　（Yusei alternate reading)

[Bruce Pennington]

1 hour ago, Bugyotsuji said:

由清 Yoshikiyo perhaps?　（Yusei alternate reading)

Thanks Piers!  I was thinking "kiyo" also, but couldn't place the first kanji.

 

Maybe @Markus might have some insight on the pronunciation? 

[Bugyotsuji]

If those kanji are correct, and I am not 100% sure, then the reading is most commonly either Yoshikiyo or Yusei.

There was a famous Edo-Meiji period scholar for example, named 横山由清 Yokoyama Yoshikiyo, 1826-1879.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks Piers!  I should be able to get home today, and I'll check Markus' Tameshigiri book to see if there is a reference to either.

[Toryu2020]

Could it be Hakusei? 白清?

[Bruce Pennington]

Markus' book isn't really laid out for easy name searches.  I didn't find either name in my attempt.  I was searching the English, though.  Next time I have time, I'll try browsing the kanji in the names to see if I spot one.

 

Thanks guys!

[uwe]

“白清” seems right, Thomas!

A quick look in Markus book brought up nothing, though…

[uwe]

6 hours ago, Bruce Pennington said:

Markus' book isn't really laid out for easy name searches.  I didn't find either name in my attempt.  I was searching the English, though.  Next time I have time, I'll try browsing the kanji in the names to see if I spot one.

 

Thanks guys!

From page 275 onwards, Bruce 

[Bruce Pennington]

Just finished scanning for the kanji with no luck.  The only time 白 was in a mei, it was part of a locale.  Not surprising.  We see the same dilemma in the WWII smith lists.  Just can't possibly have everyone that ever did the work on a list.

 

So, as your best guess, are we going with "Hakusei" as the English pronunciation? 

[uwe]

Another reading is “Shirakiyo”, but I would stay with “Hakusei”…

[Gilles]

Dear Bruce,

 

I do own that wakazashi.

Reading the nakago is as follows :

- Omote : RYUSAISHI (Ryu-sai-shi), MASASHIGE with KAO.  Answer to a request by Suuyo (present Tokuyama city) Tsumori (surname) Yoshikiyo. Made by using excellent water of seventh well (place name ?) at KO-REY (Suo, present Yamaguchi-city).

- Ura : My ancestor had lost a MASAMUNE sword in a fire in the Eiroku era (1558-1569), since then a long time has passed. I was sad about this past fact. Now, fortunately, Ryusaishi forged this sword instead of the sword lost in the fire. This sword was delivered by using all his techniques. Yoshikiyo with KAO (orderer) Bunka ninen ni gatsu hi (Feb, 1805).

Masashige was a swordsmith in the Suishinshi Masahide kado.

 

Hope it helps.

[uwe]

Then it should be “由清” as Piers suggested. Haven’t checked the writing above so I focused mistakenly on a tester…

[Bruce Pennington]

4 hours ago, Gilles said:

MASASHIGE with KAO.

Thank you, Gilles!  I will list it as Yoshikiyo then.

 

I don't have a Masashige kao on file.  Would it be possible to get a shot of that one?

[Gilles]

Dear Bruce,

 

Here are the omote and ura sides. You have here all the mei.

[Bruce Pennington]

Thanks again, Gilles!  It will be in the next Stamps doc, next March.