Page 337 - Japanese marks and seals on pottery, paper and other objects.

METAL WORK. 299

dL
% id 'P
f

n

e
^
S 1 -
;d
tit.
1 §'
£ A

No. 647. No. 648. No. 649. No. 650.
Engraved upon a Sword in the possession of Frederick
Holder, Esq., of Liverpool, No. 647. Gen-ko, gan-nen,
SHo-GATsu, KiCHi-NicHi. The liicky day of the first month of
the first year of the period of Genko^ 1331 a.d. No. 648. Nip-
pon, KA-ji so-SHO. The master of smithing in Japan. No. 649.
Go-ro, Niu-do, Masa-mune tsukuru kore o. Goto, Niudo,
Masamune, made this Niudo is a title assumed by a layman
;
who shaves his head in imitation of the Buddhist priests.
No. 650. Kusunoki Ta-mon-hio-ye Masa-shige. Kusunoki
Tamonhioye Masashige. The whole of the inscriptions may
be read as follows — In the lucky day of the first month
:
of the first year of the period Genko, Goro Niudo Masamune,
the master of smithing in Japan, made this for Kusunoki
Tamonhioye Masashige, a great patriot, who lived in the period
of Genko, and faithfully served his master, the emperor
Godaigo, during that turbulent period.