I got this small buckle with some crummy costume jewelry. Is this a Komai Otojiro mark? The few buckles I've found online seem to come in sets. Will anyone want a single?
A number of the buckles online state that they are niello,guess people will describe objects through ignorance.His works were Nunome Zogan a very different technique and the buckle looks like lower quality than his pieces.
Metalsmith Fred Zweig has an ongoing research project on Nunome Zogan (Japanese Damascus) marks, as well as practicing and teaching the technique- just click on the images in the link below for information. Looks like an Otojiro Komai mark to me... https://plus.google.com/photos/102435678137937795850/albums/5948493028195661489?banner=pwa ~Cheryl
Thanks Holly - what process do you think this one is? Thanks for that link Cheryl - it does look like his mark.
It looks like Nunome Zogan probably on mild steel,some of the more expensive pieces are on Shakudo a copper/gold alloy.
This is a nunome-zogan buckle from the Komai Otijiro shop. I suspect it is a later piece due to the simplicity of the mark. The decorated portion is mounted onto a gilded brass (sentoku) frame. Your buckle is one of a pair of shoe buckles. Fred Zweig
"Will anyone want a single?" Most would want the pair. I collect singles because I wish to study the technique. If you are selling them I am interested.
I have several items that are single. Cufflinks, earring, shoe buckles and even belt buckles that were intended to be locked together. My interest is as a metalsmith single items are valuable to me for research.
