I’m reaching out in hopes of learning more about a rare yari that has been in my family’s possession for many years.
This piece belonged to my late father and stood in the corner of my parents’ bedroom throughout my childhood and has now stood in the corner of my bedroom for over a decade. He received it as a young boy in the 70’s in upstate New York.
At the time of a prior appraisal, I was unable to remove the spearhead to reveal the tang. Only recently, I was able to disassemble it and found a clearly engraved mei. was told it was a piece made special for someone of high status like an emperor or his guards rather than for battlefield.
The yari itself is 7 feet in length, with an 8-inch spearhead. The shaft features several intricate details, including:
• Gold lacquer inlays that appear to depict a Maru ni Mitsuba Aoi, a chrysanthemum-style flower with central dots and a dragon- or kirin-like creature with a long, curling snout.
• Heart-shaped cutouts in the metalwork fittings.
• Carved red grips beneath the fittings.
• Remnants of 3 paper labels or stamps one of which includes a partial number and another with a visible patterned design maybe from past log of auction or collection.
Would like to be connected with someone who can help me with the process of getting it authenticated, give me any info they may know about it and find any potential buyers.
