Need help identifying an antique, no idea where to start on this one.. It has oriental markings (which I cant understand), any info on this or where I could find someone to help get info on it are greatly appreciated..
Who can identify this???
- Thread starter PlinkIt
- Start date
I can get you started. That's a matchlock musket, and the yellow flower I have seen before (similar not exactly like that) on other Japanese matchlocks.
Last time I saw something like that was the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Was dating an Asian girl at the time who wanted to go see the Japanese/Samurai exhibit they had. This was years ago, but they had a couple of matchlocks that were very similar, and I do remember reading that the yellow flower is a Japanese national symbol. Maybe they can help as well. good luck.
Thanks for the help guys!! you were spot on a little google fu with that info and I found an almost identical one in the west point museum page.. thanks again !!
Its a nice Japanese matchlock form the Meiji period. The decoration is most likely silver and gold nuome but this example does not have a lot of decoration from what I can see. The gold flower is the family badge and I'm unfamiliar with this one. There is a good book out there on these rifles: The Japanese Matchlock (A story of the tanegashima) by Shigea Sugawa. Some of these are worth a bit of cash. There are a few other book about the Japanese Matchlock on amazon. Try the following links:Japanese matchlock firearms from the samurai era through the Meiji pe? and Untitled Document and Japanese Collector's Boards some one there will hook you up.
Rich L
Rich L
