Crap, I won! How did I do? Kake

[GeorgeLuucas]

I threw a bid out on this Kake last week, fully expecting to be outbid. Well, I ended up winning! You live and you learn 

 

Got it for about $160, which I don’t think is too bad.

 

To me, it looks vintage but not necessarily antique. Maybe Meiji or Showa? Would love to hear your thoughts on age. 
 

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing it in person. 
-Sam 

[Matsunoki]

Hi Sam, I’d say vintage…..maybe 50s?

you’ve got a good basic structure for a good price.

Of course if you are not keen on the colour or decoration it’s a fairly simple job to re-do it and some great results are possible. For example I have used black enamel aerosol which looks very close to black lacquer. You can also buy excellent gold lacquer kamon on eBay so you could end up with a very handsome kake!

If you can’t find the kamon on eBay let me know. You can also'play around with gold enamel aerosol using stencils . 
I suspect you’ll enjoy that 🙂 

best. Colin

[John C]

Sam:

Looks like a good find regardless of age. In one pic, the right side of the center panel looks like it might be peeling a bit. If it is old plywood, that could narrow down the time frame a little. If it is veneer, it could be much older.

 

John C.

[GeorgeLuucas]

Thank you both! I’ll be sure to check if it’s plywood or veneer when if arrives. That’s good to know 

 

Great ideas Colin! Sounds right up my alley. 
 

I’ll be happy to own it. I’ve wanted something like it for some time. 
 

Cheers,

-Sam 

[NewB]

He is a great seller

it’s a score

 

j

[The Blacksmith]

If you decide to go for a colour change, then to finish I would suggest Rustins Plastic Coating. When done carefully it gives an amazing laquer like finish. It is especially good on black.

A two part product, that when hardened can be polished and gives a very  realistic laquer finish.

[GeorgeLuucas]

Thank again ya'll, those are some great ideas!  I'm going to wait until it arrives, and then decide how much I like the color and motif, and try to tell if it's old.

Thanks @NewB, he does seem to be a great seller, with some really nice stuff. He also seems knowledgeable (more than me), and dates this Kake ~150 years old in his description. 

If it appears to be that old, i'll likely leave it the way it is. If it appears to be newer, it will become a fun project.. I'm thinking black, with a nice gold 3/5/3 kiri-mon (my favorite mon)

Thanks again
Cheers,
-Sam 

[Matsunoki]

53 minutes ago, GeorgeLuucas said:

I'm thinking black, with a nice gold 3/5/3 kiri-mon (my favorite mon)

Spot on Sam. Here’s a quick shot of a knackered Meiji hawk stand that I refinished with the black enamel aerosol and gold mon. I also used a clear topcoat of aerosol enamel. Haven’t used the topcoat that  Russ mentioned. 
In addition I used some gold aerosol to give a dusted area here and there….a technique the Japanese used. 
I’d 100% go for it. I don’t think you will be spoiling anything important (no offence!) ……..quite the opposite. 
 

[Matsunoki]

Sorry Sam, me again. Meant to say you might consider taking it to pieces to do any refinishing. You’d get a far better end result and it would be much easier to do all the rubbing down and prep work. These things often wobble a bit so  a quick tap here and there …and hey presto! (Speaking from experience, not theory 🙂) …and don’t use too much glue when you re-assemble it. But I bet you know all that anyway🙂

[GeorgeLuucas]

Thank you Colin,

That is all very helpful, and great advice!

Looking forward to getting the piece in-hand, and trying the methods you describe. It will certainly look better than my home-made kake! 

Much appreciated,
-Sam

[The Blacksmith]

Quite agree with Colin, that it would be best to disassemble the kake and sand it right down. Simply re laquering it will probablt have the flower designs show through, which would look even worse. The designs look decidedly European anyway, so no great loss, IMHO. No offence meant Sam! It would look stunning black with the mon in the centre.

[GeorgeLuucas]

No offense taken at all!

I'm here for exactly this kind of advice, and ya'll continually help steer me in the right direction 

After some years of collecting other antiques and collectables, I've learned to keep my rose-colored glasses on the shelf 

All the best, and thanks again!
Cheers,
-Sam

 

[DoTanuki yokai]

I would say don’t sand it and keep your brain cells https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Red_lead

 

 

[GeorgeLuucas]

3 hours ago, DoTanuki yokai said:

I would say don’t sand it and keep your brain cells https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Red_lead

 

 

Sounds like some pretty good advice! Thank you for that - you may have saved some years of my life 

So the Kake arrived! And I actually like the way it is. Even if the flower motif is decidedly western, I like the way it looks.

Also, the red color is darker and more rich in-person, and less orange than the previous photos suggest. The wood underneath appears to be veneer, but I am not 100% certain. It's pretty light in weight. 

I'm thinking i'll use this Kake to display some blades for photos - that I intend to eventually sell to upgrade my collection. 

Appreciate all the help and advice!
Cheers,
-Sam

ps. Added some photos. Hastily taken, sorry for the cluttered background lol 

Edited March 28 by GeorgeLuucas
Added photos