metalwork question

[John A Stuart]

Hi All, This is a question for those active in metalwork. If, say, one was to have a piece, tsuba, kozuka etc. that has been abused, dented, twisted, loss of patina etc. at what point would restoration become prohibitive to the artists original work. Would applying kiniroe be acceptable? could deformation be repaired? I ask because I might need a piece that is very abused, restored. A competent artist with good work but, somebody used it to hammer something. The actual carving is fine with the iroe worn badly, but acceptable. The damage is peripheral although severe but the worked areas are fine. Thoughts, please. John

[Ford Hallam]

Hi John,

 

in general terms art is both conserved and restored. The boundaries tend to blur a bit and in the commercial world the deciding factor is usually the cost of a satisfactory job versus the profit margin.

 

It is impossible to make any further comment really, without speaking about a specific case. It does sound though, as if your piece has been battered to within an inch of it's life ...makes you wonder at the sensibilities of the philistine responsible.

[John A Stuart]

Well, here is the piece. Can it be restored? Shameful, yes? John

[Ford Hallam]

thanks for those images, John.

 

I think that the crumpled bit can certainly be minimised if not completely straightened out. The only fly in the ointment is the worn nanako...it's almost impossible to put back once it's damaged. I'd use hardwood punches and make a steel mandrel to match the inside. The gilding and patina present no particular problems.

 

Hope this helps.

 

regards,

 

Ford

[John A Stuart]

Hi Ford, Good news. The nanakoji is not the aspect I concentrate on overmuch as I feel this to be acceptable wear, although nice to have in pristine condition. It is good to know, thank you. John

[remzy]

Hum, makes you wonder why someone hammered the tip like that. What was he trying to do? it probably doesnt matter but still, weird and unthoughtful.

[Ted Tenold]

I'd suspect that it was hammered against the end in an attempt to dislodge the kogatana that was in it. Ignorance of how to remove kogatana probably is a large contributor to this kind of damage. Also, a great number of these were exported in the late 19th century, many of which were put into service as dining utensils with forks, spoons, and knive installed in them. I once had the opportunity to purchase a complete set for service of eight. Many of the kozuka were fantastic pieces and were in remarkably good condition, but it makes me shudder to think of them stacked on top of one another in the storage chest.

[remzy]

Either way, if you are looking for someone thats qualified to fix this, Ford is your man! :D