Yari Inscription - Can Anyone Help?

[Davis]

I have a yari with a red lacquered bo-hi, into which has been scratched an inscription.  Over time this has partially worn away.  Can anyone read what remains?  Any help would be appreciated.

Mick

[SteveM]

Looks like a personal name.

 

Looks like 浅井周之助　Asai Shūnosuke, but I am not 100% positive, and I am missing the final kanji... 

[Davis]

Thanks Steve, I must admit I've been struggling with this. At least it's a bit clearer now.

Mick

[Davis]

Steve, could the final kanji read as Hiro?

Mick

[SteveM]

I don't think so. In other circumstances Sukehiro would be a valid, two-kanji name, but it would be unusual to have Shu-no-sukehiro. If my reading is correct, then the personal name in this case ends at suke, and the final kanji I would expect be some verb that applies to Shunosuke: something like made by (作、造) owned by (所), or cut by (彫), or given by (贈), etc... But nothing leaps out at me. This all assumes my original reading of the name is correct, of course.

[Bugyotsuji]

Long shot, but how about Den? 伝

[Davis]

An interesting suggestion Piers.  Steve, assuming that Piers is correct, could it be that the then owner of this weapon inscribed his master's name onto it, before taking it into battle?

Mick

[SteveM]

No Mick - the use of last name + first name, precludes that inscription being any kind of dedication, and is almost certainly self-referential - indicating it is the name of the owner, maker, inscriber, giver, etc...  Den could be a possibility. I wonder about the lack of the 人偏, and I wonder that it isn't the old style 傳. But...as above, I am not happy with any of my own guesses, so, still scratching my head. 

[John A Stuart]

I don't know how you can read anything from that at all and it isn't just a vision problem. John

[Bugyotsuji]

Too casual for a 花押.

 

公 might be another part kanji, but probably inappropriate in this situation.

[Davis]

Thanks Steve and Piers.

Mick