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Help identify name/surname from seal kanji

LmdL

後輩
15 May 2016
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Hello,
I do a little research on manufacturers from the Meiji period and trying to read the name/surname out of this seal (Tensho) kanji:

6.png


First of all, are the left group and right group represent the same name/surname? Seems like no, but out of about a hundred marks I discovered in the field I do a research in only these 2 are done in a seal style and not as regular kanji/haragana, so I believe if they are not the same, they are for sure connected somehow.

I found only one source that translates kanji into seal (Tensho) here:
is-hanko.co.jp/shachi/tensho_check.html

My only two guesses at the moment are:
1. 芦巾 = ASHI HABA. The above converter gives the following seal:
7.png

The problem is, there is no such name or surname (family name) as Ashihaba. So my second guess is to find something starting with Ashi and can be a name/surname.

2. 芦名 = ASHI NA. The above converter gives the following seal:
8.png


Conclusions: first guess looks more similar to the original mark after conversion, but it doesn't represent known Japanese name/surname. Second guess is a well known family name in Japan (Ashina), but the seal doesn't look so similar to the original.

So, is anyone of my guesses is right? If no, can you suggest me another option?
Thanks!
 
You have ashi (芦) right. I can't get the other one. It wouldn't be na (名). I was thinking kawa (川) as it is a plausible last name, but I'm not too confident in that.
 
This is a tough one. I would guess that all four images represent the same company, with the two on the right just being more ornate versions. I do not recall having seen the seal form on the left side of any of these, and don't have a good guess as to what it is.
If you are currently located in Japan, I recommend visiting a small seal-making shop (preferably one run by an old guy), and asking the proprietor if he can recognize it.
 
If I only had. I live in Israel and have no access to Japan shops or stores, unfortunately.
 
The third one is the easiest to figure out.

My money is on 芦平
 
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