More grave inscriptions

[duaaagiii]

孝男 --- 國? 良 || 瑞生 || 琹銘

That is indeed 國-- I can see the three strokes of the 戈.
Instead of 琹, I see 琴.

女 --- 清 --- 妙 || 蕊? or 蕾?

蕊

--- 清弟? || 清貝 || 思貝

It is 池 ti5 (pond).

孫 --- 金吉 || 清??? 福 || 金海

It almost looks like 鐘 (coll. cing1, lit. ciong1) to me.

民國 --- 卅六 || 五一 --- 年/主? ---丁亥 二 || 壬寅 十二 --- 月 ---初三 || 卄四 ---日

That is a variant of 年.

[SimL]

Duaaagiii,

Thank you very much - you are BRILLIANT! It's amazing what an experienced person can see, based on what they know.

I had a similar experience myself, because I looked at the Chinese text before looking at the English slabs on both sides. When looking at the Chinese text first, I had *no idea* about more than half the characters for the names and dates (even though I stared at them for ages, at different magnifications). Once I had worked through the English text and knew the names and dates on them, it enabled me to "see" the corresponding Chinese characters.

So, I guess what I'm saying is that additional background knowledge enables a person to "see" what he/she otherwise wouldn't be able to see without that knowledge, or what other individuals can't see, who don't have that additional background knowledge either. I feel that in your case, your vast experience in and knowledge of Chinese helps you in this way.

Thanks again,
Sim.

[ong]

Another say it is suann gann
This page is good for history
http://xm.dmw.gov.cn/onews.asp?id=438

[SimL]

Instead of 琹, I see 琴.

Yes, now that you point it out, it is indeed a 琴.

(In my mind) I had mistakenly joined the two bottom horizontal strokes of the two 王 components to make one long horizontal stroke, and then added the 人 from the top of the 今 to result in a 木 (by also "seeing" a long vertical stroke down the centre, from the other components of the character).

Thanks for the correction.

[SimL]

http://www.xs4all.nl/~detlev/sim/graves ... l_slab.jpg

The last character on the left side is a "石", but there is an additional stroke diagonally downwards from left to right, on the right side of the character. Is this a known variant?