new futatokoromono

[rkg]

Hey guys,

 

In a radical change from thinly veiled shirt plugs, here's a fuchi/kashira/tsuba set I just recently acquired. I thought the dragon/waves design on the tsuba was pretty cool - the piece has lots of visual "motion", especially when you look at it in the light (gotta love black shiny things ).  I believe they are made from copper and are polished/patinated black.

 

I have no idea what group might have made these.  Comments appreciated.

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

 

 

[Ford Hallam]

Richard, why do you think this is copper patinated black, and not simply shakudo? Especially as the seki-gane and tenjo-gane are copper and are appropriately patinated and aged as such.

[Surfson]

Wow, nice!   Looks like guribori but without the layers of metal.

[Bugyotsuji]

Just what I was thinking, Robert, Guribori or Tsuikoku.

[Surfson]

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/22366-fs-guribori-fk/?hl=guribori

[Bugyotsuji]

Stunning! Love this work.

 

PS Wanna see a Netsuke?

[rkg]

Richard, why do you think this is copper patinated black, and not simply shakudo? Especially as the seki-gane and tenjo-gane are copper and are appropriately patinated and aged as such.

Ford,

I'd love to be wrong, but I don't think its shakudo because several of the pieces have several scratches, dents, etc that have been there for a while and they aren't repatinating - here's an example:

 

 

EDIT: also, you can see the copper on the back side of the kashira and sort of see it on the inside of the fuchi (which I need to shoot at an angle to show since its sidewalls are straight) - I'll have to shoot/add images of those when I get a moment.

 

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

[Brian]

Shakudo.
It's not going to naturally repatinate without help. And unless patinated, it would show as copper/brass colour where not patinated.
Love them.

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Richard

 

well maybe this will please you then...

 

Shakudo can sort of self patinate as is often seen but it needs a bit of help by way of handling. What is actually happening there is that oils and fatty acids from our skin is continually polishing off copper oxide and helping the correct, more durable, oxides develop.

 

Where this doesn't happen, like in a scratch or protected crevice, a layer of pinkish copper oxide develops very very quickly, (in fact immediately) which then further resists the development of the more complex copper/gold matrix patina layer.

 

This is also why the inside of shakudo kashira and fuchi are often pink while the outer parts are properly patinated. In working, heating to solder etc., the surface oxidises very heavily and must be cleaned in a mild acid (pickle), this then leaves a copper rich layer on the surface that unless properly polished off will never patinate black. 

 

Also, It's extremely difficult to achieve a convincing black patina on copper, and I'd say impossible to do and still have some parts patinate as more typical copper, like the tenjo-gane.

 

Anyway, I hope that sheds a little light on the dark patina 

[rkg]

Ford,

thankx for clearing up my misunderstandings.  FWIW, here's a couple more pics, one of the back of the fuchi, and the other of the inside of the kashira (apologies for the horrible lighting on this - I was in a hurry yesterday and actually want to shoot something else with a similar lighting setup and didn't want to change it for this):

 

 

Best,

rkg

(Richard George)

 

EDIT: Oops, I double tapped this - if the admin feels like it please delete this second entry - My bad

[Ford Hallam]

Hey Richard, i will happily put money on the outcome of any analysis of these bits, they're shakudo. 

[Ken-Hawaii]

Very valuable info - thanks! I've always wondered if shakudo would repatinate.