Matsunoki

These menuki look cast and then hand finished…imo.

Hi Grev Was he talking about mercurial gilding? That is indeed a lost process mostly because it can kill the user due to the release of mercury vapour during the firing process.

Yep, it is Chinese. Well outside of my knowledge! Looks old but the Chinese are masters of ageing things including ivory.

As Piers suggests……. “Signature” is not a Japanese one. Crudely carved and awkwardly orientated. The underside is not finished to Japanese standards. Can we see the okimono please? I feel this could be Mammoth tusk.

Not quite the same as our local horsetail grass but if it’s the same family…..it gets used in cosmetics for skin and hair. Perhaps I should try it 🙂

Sometimes it is not the importance or rarity of an object that warrants restoration or saving but it most definitely is the pleasure and peace that so doing brings. Reward of a different kind.

Bob and I have discussed this elsewhere but just to be clear this is definitely not shibayama mei or work as @Bugyotsuji correctly infers.

Piers, can you make it a bit trickier next time?🙂

Mario, I have sent you a private message if you have a few minutes. Colin

Arghhh, I can’t play ……don’t know what a Genbu is (without cheating) Guess….something to do with one having a very hairy tail (minogame) that the other does not?

Congratulations…..a beautiful collection. Eagles, hawks, tigers, dragons……evocative powerful images.

……….the proud new owner of these comes on here asking for opinions?☹️ https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lawrences-auctioneers-of-crewkerne/catalogue-id-srlawre10245/lot-a702559b-d2ea-481e-afb4-b43500bfb46e or https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/lawrences-auctioneers-of-crewkerne/catalogue-id-srlawre10245/lot-a483c013-6d87-4afd-83ea-b43500bfb46e ….and others in the same sale all with misleading descriptions.

👍

Modern Chinese fake. Sorry.

Possibly, but more likely testament to the skill of the combatant wielding it. The survival of a blade lies in not hitting anything that would damage the blade. I would suggest that just about any blade from any age of any quality would suffer damage if whacked hard into a substantially constructed piece of iron defence. “Taking a head” means nothing……he could have been dead already, or disabled slumped on the battlefield……stories and legends are great but that’s all they are. Yes I know, I’m a sceptic (or is it realist?🙂)