Good work or not?

[raiden]

Quality at what level?

[Brian]

Looking at the control of those chisel marks, and the surface groundwork (bearing in mind the scale) I would say yes...and at a fairly high level.

Intrigued...hoping it isn't a trap

 

Brian

[Lee Bray]

If it's a trap, lock me in it, cos I'll be happy looking at that superb work all day long.

 

(Hamano?)

[Marius]

Guys, this is not carved in soft metal, it is repoussé and chasing work on a copper sheet. No, it is not superb IMHO.

 

Of course, among all the NMB members, Ford is the most qualified person to elaborate.

[Ford Hallam]

Thanks for the vote of confidance, Mariusz :D

 

Most of you will already know much of the following but for the benefit of newcomers to the subject...

 

The metal is a brass type alloy, shinchu, typically around 15 % zinc and a trace of lead ( > 0.5% )

If you look closely at the the patina you can make of what appear to be flakes, a bit like an opal. This is a result of the way zinc combines with the copper. This feature is also found in various Japanese intermediate brass/bronze alloys and also sentoku. We call it 'kesho'.

 

The background texture, the little 'Y' shaped marks, is called chidori-ishime. Chidori are small coastal birds and are often depicted flying above waves. These marks are named after their 'footprints' in wet sand. Using the same punch but packing the marks much closer and overlapping results in a texture reminiscent of crushed leather, that's called kawa-ishime.

 

The clouds are neatly carved and shaped. The details on the clouds are a combination of kata-kiri (the crescent shaped cuts) and careful punch work to form a rounded drop shape where where some of the cuts end.

 

The patina on these sorts of alloys is not the most stable and tends to wear off quite easily from handling. It does self-patinate fairly easily, although it's often quite patchy where it does. It also darkens quite a lot, as can be seem here in the deeper recesses that have escaped the effect of sweaty fingers. The copper bloom that's visible on the right of the image is a consequence of the zinc oxide present in the original patina having deteriorated leaving a copper rich layer behind. From the perspective of conservation or restoration I'd suggest this piece is in very good condition and I would touch it.

 

The gold edge detail looks to be kinkeshi, murcury fire gilding.

 

As to the level of quality I would suggest the workmanship is competent but fairly generic. The actual technical skill displayed is good but there is a lack of finesse in the way the clouds are 'drawn' and the flow of lines is irregular. Worth bearing in mind the true size though, we're seeing this piece greatly enlarged.

 

regards,

 

Ford

[Marius]

It is good to be wrong and to be able to learn form one's mistake. I still cannot stop thinking it is not repousse...

 

Thanks Ford

 

At least I was right - it is not superb! That was the child in me, sorry

[Brian]

From the perspective of conservation or restoration I'd suggest this piece is in very good condition and I would touch it.

Ford,

Did you mean you wouldn't touch it?

Mariusz, I had thought this was repoussé with carving afterwards like menuki. Ford..so is this all carved from solid?

Are we perhaps looking at a kogai or......?

 

Brian

[Ford Hallam]

quite right, Brian

[ROKUJURO]

Brian,

 

it is a NAGINATA FUCHI as was mentioned.

 

To be completely sure about the production process it would surely be helpful to have a look into the inside of the item. I have seen objects being preformed and then worked on with small chisels (Yes, Mariusz, you are not yet completely out of the race!). This might only be visible on closer inspection, but of course I trust the judgement of Ford.

[Pete Klein]

It looks like painted wood.

[Ford Hallam]

Some pieces do exhibit some deformation of the metal (Mino Goto work frequently does) on the inside to help create more height but in this case the relief is so shallow it's unlikely neither would it be considered repousse work really. In either case the entire outer surface would be carved, scraped and polished before the chidori-ishime texture and kata-kiri work performed.

 

And someone send Pete some specs

[raiden]

Nice discussion guys, yes it is a naginata fuchi so that can be verified. Yes it is also signed and dated.

[raiden]

[raiden]

[Curran]

Decent, but not great.

Skilled individual not really taking any chances or pushing it too much. I'm curious if the other side has something more grand, so would turn it over right away.

 

Take a shot in the dark here and say Kyoto / Nara area smith.

Not really cracking open the books on it.

Possibly one of those where the signature is make or break point in terms of value, just as some signed Ichijo f/k can be a bit boring.

 

So flay me if I am horribly wrong. I'll join Mariusk as an archery target for the slings and arrows of opinion.

[Pete Klein]

One day I hope to be interred in a little hamlet...

[Brian]

Think I'm with Curran on this one. No doubt it will turn out to be some top level maker, but unless there is a great deal more to show, I think it's good work (very nicely done strokes) but not eye popping. If it were on a table with a bunch of other fittings, not sure I would jump on it immediately. I haven't seen an elaborate naginata collar like that before. I'm guessing by some late Meiji high level artist?

 

Brian

 

PS - Pete, those are sunglasses, not specs :lol:

[Curran]

(( AH, c'mon. Why the Ford delete of the Youtube Hamlet Cigars link? That was funny stuff, even if off topic.

Think I've had a few of those moments too. Particularly Custard's Last Stand. ))

[Pete Klein]

Good to know someone got it.

[raiden]

all of the recent topics of copies or utsuhimono brought this into play. I'll tell a story here......Once upon a time, there was a beautiful Naginata mounted in a fabulous koshirae made by a guy named Yasuchika........

[raiden]

But then a very important piece was lost or damaged for some reason.........So another person was asked to help.

[raiden]

[raiden]

in meiji 23.......

[kaigunair]

Woah, are we talking Natsuo here?

[Ford Hallam]

no comment.

 

Other than to ask if we might see the rest of the set as made by Yasuchika.

[Curran]

Fooled me. I was thinking Yasuchika having 'mailed it in' a bit on a doldrum week.

Wasn't too sure because of the chidori being more (different) than I remember of Yasuchika.

But I don't have the Nara San Saku or Yasuchika book, so didn't really check.

 

If you say it is someone doing en suite with an existing Yasuchika work, makes sense.

In other words, someone blending in?

 

---------------------

(edit)

I see Ford posted while I was typing the above.

No idea then...

[Pete Klein]

'paralytically': to be paralyzed, possibly by intoxication: 'a group of paralytic drunks'.

 

That's a new one for me, although I've been there in my youth...

[raiden]

listed and recorded in the Natsuo taikan i believe.Not sure what happened to the whole mount, but many things were given up after the war, and many blades that I have bought had the fuchi missing........

[raiden]

Just an interesting piece that we got in that will be for sale soon. But not an utsushi, or repair, so what?

[Ford Hallam]

It's not in the edition of the Natsuo Taikan I have...

 

And you don't have the rest of the mounts by Yasuchika...pity