teppo conversions

[Peter Bleed]

Dear Friends,

Please let me beg the insights and wisdom of this august community!  I am curious about what collectors consider to be the importance – and value implications – of modified Japanese teppo. I am personally interested in how “old” guns were modified and updated in the late 19^th century. There was a fair amount of this going on in Japan altho it is not clear to me who was doing this, when it was done, or what the goals were. I would love to understand all that, but let me start with a question about crass economics.

What do collectors think the conversions do to teppo values? Does conversion destroy, lower, or re-direct collector value? Are converted guns at all interesting to collectors in Japan? Are they allowed into Japan? Are converted guns being "de-converted"?

Peter

[Bugyotsuji]

Too many questions to answer in one post, Peter, but all valid in their own right. An incredibly complex area that would be a fascinating read, if such a thing existed.

 

Starting with a generality. It is my experience that conversions in Japan today are worth less than the matchlock upon which they were built. Some very beautiful and complicated conversions are rare and fascinating however, and may well be worth more. (Boso-Raika sliding pill-lock mechanism for example.) Of course it depends on the dealer and the customer/collector. Many collectors simply want an example of 'a Hinawa-Ju' matchlock, preferably with a Mon and/or some flashy Kirigane copper and brass decorations that they can polish and display somehow.

 

Although a conversion will have added speed of loading and maybe extra firepower to a weapon, the gun will in the process have increased its killing power and lost some of its 'innocence', created as it was in a Golden Age (c1615-c1850) when war was not pressing urgently upon the shores of Japan, and gunnery had become a civilized Martial Art. It was clear that smoothbore muzzle-loading Hinawa-ju could no longer cut the mustard against breech-loading Western percussion, rim/pin-fire and cartridge rifles though. Without a strong central government, individual Han opened their coffers and employed agents to negotiate separately with traders or representatives of the various foreign powers to procure modernized weapons. This means that few records were kept as this was a largely secret trade. To match the sudden appearance of Western weapons from here and there, native gunsmiths had to learn how to adapt old weapons, or create new ones in parallel. Some Han (e.g. Kaga) issued orders and gathered up all available old matchlocks and either melted them down or converted them. Smiths that could not adapt continued to produce old style matchlocks which probably failed to sell. Some smiths learned how to make conversions of these; others how to imitate and create faithful copies of Western weapons. 

 

I do not think there is a market for converted weapons to be re-introduced into Japan, unless in very specific circumstances. Importing any kind of gun into Japan is a long drawn-out and tiring business, the whole system designed to wear down and discourage everyone involved.

 

There is a consciousness among the trade of how a gun has been registered. If the card says 'percussion' system on it, for example, there is less incentive to change it back into a matchlock as that would be breaking the law. No alterations are legally allowed on registered weapons. 

 

(Taking a break here...)