Kozuka with a surprise?

[shakudo]

Hi all,

Firstly thanks to Brian and the other administrators and all the knowlegable members who so freely give their time and expertise on this board.

Had an interesting experience with a kozuka recently. I purchased a kozuka plate as seen in the pics attached thinking I may be able to fit it to an old kozuka or if time allows make a new one - in my retirement. By the way any comments on the theme or school most appreciated?

I regulary watch auctions and saw the kozuka ( pictured) and  thought I maybe able to use it , if nothing else learn more on its construction as I dismantle it. Not sure if it was just me but thought it was an old rusty dragon around a ken on it? Well when it arrived I was inspecting it with a small sciber, investigating how it was joined to the kozuka plate. Click- a piece of the dragon/ ken ficked off the nanako plate. Yes a piece! Further investigation showed that the figurine had been fixed by a glue type material to the plate and that it was not iron as first thought- hence the pic of a piece from the dragon/ ken and then a pic of it crushed- with little effort. It appears to be a clay/ stone material that was either cast or formed , assuming maybe laquered and then glued to the nanako. 

So my question is does anyone know of this type of approach to decorating any fittings - surely this is not common? Maybe a certain era, region or school utlised this procedure? Looking forward to your comments? Must admit I was completely surprised!

Regards Mike

[Matsunoki]

Hello Mike

I’ve handled many kozuka but have never encountered this before. It would be very unusual to see a shakudo nanako plate inlaid with iron….normally other soft metals are used. So, what is it? I suspect a bit of a bodge job…..but possibly a Japanese bodge job.  Is the kozuka nanako body one of the pressed ones made to put on cutlery sets etc for sale to the Gaijin? 

[Brian]

This is one really for @Ford Hallam
I'd be interested in his take.

[shakudo]

Hi Colin,

Yes weird! Thought it had to be a solder job if it was iron- certainly looks like corroded iron at first glance! Doesnt seem like a pressing as it has framework for the top plate ( nanako) and the join is at the bottom as usual. Ive seen some pressed double sided tourist ones and they are joined in the middle of the side. 

Interestingly the nanako covers the whole plate so maybe an after thought. Certainly interested on Fords opinion as Brian says?

 Cheers

[Matsunoki]

Hi again Mike

Not all “pressings” are double sided. They made some highly convincing ones of traditional form where the back plate is a correct solid one but the top plate is “pressed and worked” from a thin sheet and then often multipatinated to resemble mixed metal. Some are scarily convincing ….I’ve had ones with lovely crayfish and lobsters which could easily fool us if we didn’t look closely. They also “fake” the shakudo nanako effect……yours could be such a piece. I’ve also seen the “fakes” signed…just to add to the issue.

However there is a way to tell. The faceplate of the pressings is of necessity a thin sheet of alloy. If you insert your fingernail into the kogatana slot you can feel where it has been rolled over to create the effect of a thicker plate on the leading edge where the blade tang is inserted ie your nail will catch on the ridge of the faceplate. “Real” kozuka have a thick top plate often with a smooth interior surface. 
Not sure if that explanation makes sense!
Try it and see!

 I believe these deceptions are called shiremono…..but someone may correct me on spelling!

All good fun!

Colin

 

[shakudo]

Hi Colin,

Thats very good info thanks. Top plate is thick and smooth -no  catching of finger nail or a sciber at all. Its really solid and well made- wouldnt say really old- probably late edo.

Thanks again- if I can I'll take a pic of opening.

Cheers 

Mike

[Spartancrest]

Mike, could these be linked to your kozuka mystery, you mentioned back in April?

 

[shakudo]

Hi Dale,

Quite possibly. I read the link you provided and it answered quite a few questions. I think that this has been a mould/ casting of dragon around a ken but unsure of material used. I placed kozuka in a salt solution but it only cleaned the metal- was sort of expecting the substance to soften/ disolve but no effect. Im going to heat the powdered section and see what reaction I get. Dont think its late enogh to be resin/ fiberglass but time will tell.

Cheers

[shakudo]

Hi Colin, 

Finally able to send these thru!#!#

Last puc show opening of kozuka- no tjin sheet and a flat underneath of the kozuka. Top pic shows kozuka after 2 days in a salt solution - bit cleaner but no effect on suspect material.  Money shot is the after crushing I tried to burn it- just sat there- probably seemed to fuse together as white particles seem larger after heating than before when crushed! Got me stumped but hey Im just GAIJIN! Steep learning curve for some of us!!

Cheers

[Spartancrest]

Mike, try using some citric acid [cooking ingredient] - lemon juice if you don't have any. It should clean the kozuka, I guess by now you have given up retaining any patina 

[Matsunoki]

Hello again Mike

I reckon there is a good chance the material in question is the dense fine “red” clay that is famously used in making Bizen ceramics. The particle size means it can take a very fine moulding and from the images the colour looks about right. It’s also very robust. Have a look at……

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizen_ware

and see what you think.

All the best.

Colin

[Ford Hallam]

It looks to me that the filler material that was used to secure the dragon and ken element to the nanako ji-ita is a matsuyani mixture. Essentially pine rosin and fire clay. It's very runny and sticky when hot/warm and rock hard when cold. I've encountered it many times when restoring Meiji period pieces that were constructed out of many components. When it was fresh it would have been much more tough and resilient but over time the remaining oils and resinous ingredients evaporate leaving the mixture characteristically dry and friable, like this.

 

The use of matsuyani to stick decoration onto a kozuka is definitely not an Edo period norm 

 

I have to say I'm a little concerned about recent suggestions here on the NMB that vinegar, salt or other such potentially corrosive solutions be used in the cleaning of tosogu. Unless you know pretty well what you're dealing with in advance and know how to put it all right when you're done you may well be opening a can or worms/Pandora's box of trouble. 

[Brian]

Ford,
So there was a soft metal plate over that mixture, which is now gone leaving the imprint of the back surface of the dragon etc?
That makes sense. This was filler material/glue.

[shakudo]

Hi all,

Firstly Brian, no metal plate over the dragon- just the composite- remains of gold/ laquer on the end of the ken still remain- whole thing is made of this compound.

Hi Ford, Thanks for your  comments but its far more than a glue to hold the dragon and ken on - the whole thing is a composite sadly. Im sure you have encountered this before as I said 100 to 150 years old but the dragon and ken are composite- gold or laquer still remains in the end of the ken. Yep Meiji and yep con the gaigin! Happy to mail it to you so you can check it out but lets just say buyers beware. Mind you purchased as junk and am treating it as junk- intend to pull it apart !

Hi Dale, patina is fairly flexible- if Ford does a repair or a renovate job it probably will need to be re patinad( I dont know how to spell that and neither does google Hahaha) Im waiting on rokusho from USA and am trying to have a Japanese supplier mail it out. Wishful thinking I think.  

Regardless an interesting product and one we as collectors need to be aware of!

Cheers all.

[Matsunoki]

I’m confused…..nothing unusual there. I think Ford was saying the dragon/ken was “glued” to the kozuka body with the matsuyani. The actual dragon/ken I think was a cast made from Bizen yaki clay….which looks very much like russet iron  if fired in a certain way.

Ford….is that what you are saying?

All the best

Colin

[shakudo]

Hi Colin,

Maybe the whole thing was the matsuyani. Remelted some today and I think the smell I experienced today and before maybe a rosin odour. Dale sent me a link in an earlier post( in this thread) with regard to yanigata( spelling may not be right) but it showed me that moulds could be made from these- my suspicions all along. Im a jeweller and I assure we can make a copy of nearly anything!!! The matsuyani may have held it to the kozuka plate and maybe the material was Bizen ceramic? Not sure- appeared a bit like waterstone but hey? All I know when heated it glowed and then became white after cooling- metal Im ok on ceramic/ or stone not my thing. Thank you for you input- so much to learn and so little time!

Regard Mike