18 strokes and not sure how to read it---

[Curran]

This is for a pair of menuki. It has me stumped for now.

 

Help please:

 

顕乗

 

First character is 18 strokes and can be read (ken, aki, teru, or several other ways) and second is normally 'Hide', but can also be read 'Jo'.

 

What is the correct reading?

[Nobody]

Its common reading is "Kenjo".

[Curran]

Moriyama-san,

 

I considered "Kenjo" as a possibility, but I do not understand this reading as an attribution.

I do not have a record of an artist named Kenjo using these characters.

 

What are mumei "Kenjo" menuki?

[John A Stuart]

Kenjo 顕乗 Goto 後藤 Mitsuki 光来 Hachirobei family branch Born Kyoto 1828 Died Tokyo 1904. Second son of Goto Ichijo. Also used Mitsunobu 光信 and

光伸 John

[Nobody]

Ref. http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%BE%8C%E8%97 ... 5%E4%B9%97

 

Kenjo (1586 – 1663);

The 2nd son of Tokujo, became the 7th generation of the Goto head family

[Curran]

Moriyama-san and John,

 

I understand now. The menuki attribution is Goto Kenjo. Old papers (older than me).

I was relying upon the Haynes Index, but for whatever reason Bob Haynes used a different kanji for Ken in his entries for 'Kenjo'.

[John A Stuart]

顯 which Haynes uses and 顕 are equivalent kanji.

[Curran]

John,

 

I figured as much. It isn't the sort of mistake that Bob Haynes would make.

I have much to learn about Goto schools. I should at least learn or memorize the main-line writing and reading of names.