Estate find

[Stephen]

My pix came out really bad from the ol work horse Macvica...time to put it down. the kozuka was not with the wak and yes someone scavaged the menuke, heres one shot of the FK and one of the Kozuka, its really very dark with a blue like black ness to it...not sure if someone rubed off the patina on one bird or its ment to be that way with one light other dark. not signed deep patina on the back....Menji era??? Higo on the tsuba huh? any idea what the rings are??

[John A Stuart]

Hi Stephen, There are 4 examples in the Kinko meikan and though there is small differences the example you have is quite different. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but these are gimei. John

[Stephen]

fig that. Any info on the kozuka?...it did not come with the blade.

[docliss]

Dear Stephen

 

Sadly I have to agree with John - the work on the fuchi-gashira is not of the quality of that of the Omori school. The tsuba .... Are those not parts of a horse's bit? And yes - probably Higo work. The kodzuka is very ordinary Meiji work, of the type of which which one sees quite a lot . But could not the loss of colouring on the right-hand bird be due, simply, to increased exposure to friction of an indifferent patination?

 

Regards, John L.

[Rickisan]

I like that tsuba Stephen....

I seem drawn towards the strange ones.

Of course my choices are not all that good.

Is it a common theme?

 

Rick

[Stephen]

seen one or two with the horse thingies, dont think its anything to ride home about. higo is prob right, it and the sword will be up on ebay next week.

[drbvac]

Jeeeeze Stephen:

 

No estates like the ones you find in Canada! Least not in my neck of the woods even though my Dad served in the Canadian intelligence Corps in WW2 and his unit was awarded the Phillipines Liberation Medal by the US government! He told me once he had a katana on the ship on the way home and traded it for some beer in San Francisco. - thats what my estate is -- beer and one Japanese ariska bayonet!

[Curran]

Dear Stephen,

 

The shape of the tsuba is that often seen in the Satsuma tsuba. Do you have the little Satsuma book? Perhaps Milt or someone else does and can post an example.

The horse briddle bits is something I do not recall seeing on tsuba very often.