kozuka

[Birdman]

Well, the kozuka I bought on Ebay arrived today. I love it!

 

 

 

I don't know if I overpaid for it or not ($160 + $15 shipping from the UK), but I really like bird themes (hence, the screen name, "Birdman"), especially hawks/eagles/falcons, and sea-birds. I believe these are cormorants. The kozuka seems to be a copper alloy with gilding applied.

 

It was sold as 19th century Edo, though being new to collecting I don't know if there are any characteristics that would specifically identify it as such. Any opinions?

 

Now, if I could only find a fuchi/kashira and tsuba to go with it...

[cabowen]

Here is an example of good nanako (the punched background) for comparison:

[Birdman]

Well, like I said, I'm new to collecting. I bought it because I liked the cormorant design.

 

Were there "schools" of kozuka makers, like there were of tsuba and sword makers? If so, can this one likely be attributed to one?

 

Is the "Edo, 19th century" description likely accurate for this piece?

[cabowen]

There were those that made strictly tsuba, but from what I know, there wasn't really a separate group that made strictly kozuka, but rather metal artists who made the various fittings- kozuka, kogai, menuki, etc. They were organized by school.

 

Yours looks like later work, 19th century would seem reasonable. Very hard to say which school it belongs to as it is not distinctive in the workmanship. Many were made for export later in the 19th century and they are all more or less toys....

[Birdman]

"Toys", like the copies of older tsuba that were made for the export market in the late 19th/early 20th century?

 

Is there any practical way to distinguish one of the "export" kozuka from one that was perhaps lesser quality, but made for actual use as a sword accessory?

[Brian]

Rich,

When you see a god one, you'll know it. The quality can be mindblowing.

Yours is an average one, and without being too harsh, I think you could have done better. But it's real and if you like it.....

Search the forum for kozuka and you will see lots of great ones. Don't get into the habit of just buying for the sake of buying.

 

Brian

[Birdman]

Rich,

When you see a god one, you'll know it. The quality can be mindblowing.

Yours is an average one, and without being too harsh, I think you could have done better. But it's real and if you like it.....

Search the forum for kozuka and you will see lots of great ones. Don't get into the habit of just buying for the sake of buying.

 

Brian

Yes, I've seen the pictures. There are some superlative ones out there, but all of them, just like "investment quality" nihonto, are all way outside my means. I bought this one because I liked the design.

[cabowen]

I bought this one because I liked the design.

 

Nothing wrong with that....

[Birdman]

I am curious about something: when these were made, were the 3-D elements (like the cormorants on mine) usually applied seperately, after the handle pieces were shaped and assembled, or were they carved out of the handle material itself?

 

The handle on mine was apparently made in at least 3 pieces: the front piece with the decorations, with a "lip" bent down to form the mune edge of the kozuka; a piece for the back side, which is not perfectly flat but rather slightly convex towards the ha edge; and a "plug" for the closed end. The open end is shaped like the nakago-ana on a tsuba, just smaller.

[cabowen]

I think there was a variety of ways in which these were made....perhaps Ford will offer some insights into the subject....

[nagamaki - Franco]

http://www.followingtheironbrush.org/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=248

[Birdman]

Very interesting and informative article. Thanks! Also interesting that the tangs of the kogatana blades were bent slightly to make a "spring fit", rather than mostly being glued in with pitch (though someone mentioned to me that he had one that was glued).