Hanko Reading?

It is in sosho or cursive script. I will have to get out my dictionaries to figure it out. I can look into it tonight.

I read the first character as tama or gyoku or goku.... 玉 but certainly not sure.

The second is ko or mizuumi 湖　meaning lake, so together "jewel lake".

That's great! Thanks Kiku and Yuusui... you are both gems on the surface of this lake.
-m

Doherty-san,
Have you been playing this 玉湖shakuhachi?
Surely,this Hanko read 玉湖（pronounce :gyoku-ko)meaning "jewel lake".
How did you get this shakuhachi.
The famous shakuhachi-maker 玉水（gyoku-sui:jewel water) use 玉水-hanko.
The second　gyoku-sui passed away in 2008. His father is the first gyoku-sui who had practiced shakuhachi-making under the very excellent shakuhachi-maker 誠玉(sei-gyoku).The second gyoku-sui got given one charactor "玉gyoku" from the his teacher's name誠玉.
　So I assume that 玉湖 is one of student of 誠玉.　But I'm not sure.
So I'll ask for that topic when I visit the third 玉水（the first gyoku-sui's grandchild).
Anyway, that hanko read gyoku-ko 玉湖。
By the way We Japanese used to the Hanko.But for a foreigner, usually it's not easy to read.
On web, next HP is very usuful for reading so-syo or kuzusi-ji.
Why don't visit next HP ?
For me, I love the second gyoku-sui(玉水）-san's jinasi-shakuhachi.
He was the best shakuhachi maker in Japan, or in the world.
But his son is the excellent good shakuhachi maker.He has made many good shakuhachis.

P.S sorry I forgot.
sosyo dictionary web site is nest.
http://wwwap.hi.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ships/shipscontroller

Kishi-san,

Thank you for the information you have provided about 玉湖. It is good to know this Shakuhachi's possible origin. The time period seems correct based on the look, construction of the flute, and its performance / sound. I bought this shakuhachi from a Japanese antique dealer on eBay about 5 years ago. It was one of those occurrences when one has a strong feeling about an object. Yes, I do play this flute. It likes old honkyoku and folk songs best.

Best wishes.