Any suggestions?

[Kevin]

Someone just sent me these photos. Apparently they were kashira before being turned into jewellery. I know it may be a bit difficult now they've been mangled, but any ideas?

 

http://ryujinswords.com/Pictures/DSC_0001%5b1%5d.jpg

 

http://ryujinswords.com/Pictures/DSC_0003%5b1%5d_1.jpg

 

Kevin

[Lee Bray]

Ideas on?

 

The first looks like it was a kashira. Correct orientation for the scene.

The second doesn't look like a kashira. Too flat and and the boat would be headed to Davy Jone's locker or skyward if mounted.

 

The workmanship on that second piece is fabulous.

Their expressions are incredibly detailed given the size.

[Gaijin]

Yes i agree with Lee, second one looks more like obidomi.

Here another example of menuki turned into a brooch

[Kevin]

  Lee Bray said:

Ideas on?

 

Age? School? Tosogu not my field.

 

  Lee Bray said:

The second doesn't look like a kashira. Too flat and and the boat would be headed to Davy Jone's locker or skyward if mounted.

 

Sorry - knackered when I wrote that, so not thinking. Day spent looking after our hyperactive toddler.

 

Kevin

[Soshin]

  Kevin said:

 

Age? School? Tosogu not my field.

 

 

Kevin the second piece looks like it dates to the Meiji period and is a fine example of a work by professional tosogu artists that were forced into making jewelry and other decorative metal works after the banning of the wearing swords which caused a drop off of the tosogu business. The subsequent abolishment of the samurai and daimyo classes also didn't help the business either. Some other tosogu made during the the late Edo period were also covered into jewelry as well, you first photo is a good example of this as well as Gaijin's menuki.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David S. (Soshin)