Ivory and Bone mounts...Thought this may be of interest.

[Lindus]

In the thread on the collection in the Royal Cornwall Museum, I showed some photographs of a beutifull Aikuchi with gold inlaid blade and mounted in the most superb Ivory mounts. Some questions were raised as to the quality of Ivory carving as opposed to bone. I knew that somewhere I had a blade in Bone mounts, just found it and It shows How much better the Ivory was in the other collection.

 

For those not aware of the difference,Ivory has a grain similar to Hada while bone generally shows the signs of where blood vessels and muscle have been...{Now let an expert explains this} :?

 

Would be interested to see other examples of mounts carved in both bone and old Ivory.

 

Roy

[estcrh]

I have seen some bone mounted swords with very nice carvings ( not real works of art though) but none with a nice blade.

 

 

[nihontoau]

Hi Roy,

 

I think your example may be made of deer antler, i actually have a personal collection of these, here is one example.

 

regards

John

 

Nihonto Australia

info@nihonto.com.au

[nihontoau]

A few more pics.

 

regards

John

Nihonto Australia

[nihontoau]

Forgot to mention this does have a very good traditionally forged blade

 

 

Regards

 

John

 

Nihonto Australia

[estcrh]

Seems to be a difference between the quality of the ivory and antler mounts and the ones made from bone?

[Lindus]

Hi John

 

Now that is quite something, the carving superb, not signed? surprised but good to see these as for most part those that come around are more scrimshaw. Are yoy certain that it is not Ivory?

 

Roy

 

Eric

 

Not sure the properties of any, staghorn is a form of Hair?, I have seen some superb Marine Ivory carved Okimono , it would be interesting if any members could enlighten re the properties of these materials.

 

Roy

[estcrh]

John, I was wondering like Roy if instead of antler your nicely carved tanto might be ivory? For Roy from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deer

 

Antlers

With the exception of the Chinese Water Deer, which have tusks, all male deer have antlers. Sometimes a female will have a small stub. The only female deer with antlers are Reindeer (Caribou). Antlers grow as highly vascular spongy tissue covered in a skin called velvet. Before the beginning of a species' mating season, the antlers calcify under the velvet and become hard bone. The velvet is then rubbed off leaving dead bone which forms the hard antlers. After the mating season, the pedicle and the antler base are separated by a layer of softer tissue, and the antler falls off.

[nihontoau]

Hi Guys

 

Yes I believe mine is ivory, the example Roy posted with the hawk I believe to be a type of antler, My piece does have a mei on the tsuka section above the mekugi in picture 4912, i have a number of these and will take some pics of them and post,

 

 

Regards

 

John

[Chishiki]

I would like to share with you this fantastic ivory tanto. The carving is exceptional. PS sorry if the pics are on the yellow side, artificial light!

 

Regards

 

Mark

[Chishiki]

and a few more. Mark. PS, the blade is antique, traditionally made.

[Mark Green]

I would have to say, those are surely 'works of art'!!!!!!!

[estcrh]

Mark, thats an awesome piece, thanks for posting, the pictures posted here are the only ivory mounts I have seen, bone mounts that I have seen do not have any were near the same quality of carving maybe due to bone being more porous and not as good of a medium or or maybe due to the fact that ivory being much more rare was used for higher level pieces.

[Lindus]

Superb, as good as the best Okimono I have seen.

 

Have asked a friend who has a large Katana fully mounted in finely carved Ivory to photograph and as he is a member, show it as I think swords of that size in good carved mounts must be rare?.

 

Roy

[raaay]

Hi Roy

 

 

some pics of my ivory tachi mounts.

 

I had these on file, i will try and get some better one's sorry about the pic quality.

 

from memory there are at least 7 or 8 Dragons over the whole sword not top quality carving

but IMHO very very good.

 

Can any body make out the soshu style kanji in the Mei on the tsuka, help please

 

ps,STUNNING tanto carving as you say Roy

 

Ray

[IanB]

Roy, A former member of the Northern ToKen has / had an ivory tachi with the saya made in one piece from quite a large tusk. As expected, the carving was superb, but to get the blade (can't remember who it was by but I seem to remember it was from the Edo period) to fit the curve of the tusk it had no less than 15 hagiri along its length .

Ian Bottomley

[Lindus]

Ha, as once desribed by a dealer a long time ago as "A rare study piece not to be missed" :? no the one I reffered to is owned by a Scot and member of the NMB.....C'Mon Raay.........

By the way and on the subject of Ha Giri, how is that feature seen on Yari?.

 

Pity not more were shown in this thread, those that have are a real eye opener as to the quality out there, LETS SEE SOME MORE folks

 

Roy

 

http://www.collectorsloot.homestead.com

[raaay]

Roy

 

I have already posted I think we both need go to speck savers old bean.

 

If you look back a couple of posts you will see the Ivory tsuka and a few pics

I had on file.

 

Here are a few more pics, had to open a new post, too many to add to the last post

hope you don't mind Brian re bandwidth etc.

 

Had a re - count Roy there are 10 dragons in total including the two small coiling dragons that

are in the menuki position.

 

Does anyone know if there is any significance in the 10 dragons or was it just the carvers whim ?

 

Best regards

Ray

[Lindus]

OK.....what was the blade,cannot remember,so obscure school...

 

Take care up there

 

Roy