Signature Translation Sought

[hddennis]

Just bought this netsuke? online and AI has me thoroughly confused having given me at least 4 different translations in 3 attempts??  Is it that hard to translate or is AI that bad? Waiting to receive this by mail so have to rely on sellers photos until I get it in hand.

 

 

Thanks in advance,

Howard Dennis 

 

 

[SteveM]

法信 Norinobu would be my somewhat unsatisfying guess.

 

EDIT: Another unsatisfying guess would be 江信 (Kōshin), and apparently there is a netsuke artist by this name. So maybe its not so unsatisfying after all. 

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Modern, not a Netsuke and the signature added (in China) to give a ‘casual’ grass-written Japanese impression, imho. No benefit therefore to trying to decypher the deliberate squiggle.

 

(Plus it’s ivory, a giant no-no, unfortunately.)

[Bugyotsuji]

By the way Howard, notice how the detailed design on front has been added (at some personal effort) to cover the crack, i.e. to follow the belly line.