Request for translation

[PauDee]

[Ray Singer]

I believe it is :

國友 - Kunitomo
貴重 - Takashige

[ROKUJURO]

Paul,

we have a translation section.

The photo with the gun barrel is upside down.

[Bugyotsuji]

Normally Ray would be correct above, but checking gunsmiths lists and after drawing a blank, I finally found this name alphabetically listed under alternative reading ‘Ki’, so I think we have to read it as Kitchō/Kichō.

 

The name is under a section labelled ‘Place of manufacture unknown’. We can therefore assume this smith was originally from or trained in Kunitomo but was sent/scouted out to help local gunsmithing somewhere else in Japan.

 

There is a side-note of the existence of a one-Monmé (small-bore) gun made by Kunitomo Kichō.

[PauDee]

7 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Normally Ray would be correct above, but checking gunsmiths lists and after drawing a blank, I finally found this name alphabetically listed under alternative reading ‘Ki’, so I think we have to read it as Kitchō/Kichō.

 

The name is under a section labelled ‘Place of manufacture unknown’. We can therefore assume this smith was originally from or trained in Kunitomo but was sent/scouted out to help local gunsmithing somewhere else in Japan.

 

There is a side-note of the existence of a one-Monmé (small-bore) gun made by Kunitomo Kichō.

It is a one momne ca 8.5 mm

[PauDee]

Any idea when this weapon was made?

[Bugyotsuji]

On 11/10/2023 at 1:45 AM, PauDee said:

Any idea when this weapon was made?

Without seeing it, I would guess around 1830.

[k morita]

A kanji carved on the gun stock is  龜　(turtle).
In Japan, turtles are considered auspicious animals.