tsuba signed Sekijoken Motozane - But which one ?

[Kurikata]

Hi,

 

I have a tsuba (topic is Gamme sennin and his dancing frog) signed Sekijoken Motozane :

赤城軒元孚

 

But  there are a least 4 Motozane:

1 - The first generation  1741 / 1830

2-  His first son: 1780/1851

3-  The third son of  #2: 1794/1865

4- The son of #3 : 1846/1916 

 

Do you have information on which generation is my tsuba ? 

 

Thank you for your help

[RobertM]

Interesting to see what I presume is museum collection ref no 59 actually stamped rather than painted.

 

Rob m

[Kurikata]

Robert, it was rather commun in old European collections to stamp Tosogu with a number. Therefore It doesn't mean that this tsuba was belonging to a museum. It only indicate that this tsuba left Japan more than a Century ago.

[SteveM]

Chances are it would be the first, since he lived the longest. He signed in a variety of ways, but it looks like this matches with one of the samples in Wakayama. Wakayama also notes the second was only able to use the name for a comparatively short time since the first lived so long, and that it is difficult to distinguish works from the first two generations. The third was active and using this full name for only a short time, as was the fourth who seems to be really a Meiji artist, and probably not making works of this caliber. (That's my speculation, not Wakayama's.). 

[Kurikata]

Thank you Steve for the information.  Sounds logical and looking at other Kakihan after deeper research, it looks legitimate to 1st generation indeed.