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Nail Head Cover (Kugikakushi): Hawk browse these categories for related items... All Items: Archives:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese: Pre 1920: item # 170970 Please refer to our stock # 6B-345 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book SOLD |
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| Superbly crafted high relief Japanese bronze kugikakushi (ornamental metal covering to hide nails) in the form of a hawk or falcon in flight. Meiji period (1868-1912). The finely cast bronze body is backed with a thick brass plate which is stamped with an unidentified maker’s mark. The characteristic square shaft is crafted in bronze. The details on this piece are superb. The bird’s face and feathers are beautifully rendered, and the patina is wonderful. The Japanese word for falcon (taka) also designates a hawk. The Heian court in Japan enjoyed falconry, despite the fact that this sport violated the Buddhist commandment against taking life. With the development of a more secular culture in the Edo period, falcons and hawks became natural emblems of the Japanese warrior class due to their keen eyesight, their predatory nature, and their boldness. Kugikakushi came into widespread use in the 16th and 17th centuries. They were used to provide a decorative metal covering for the joints of the huge beams and posts of shrines and temples and also in the grand castles that were constructed for various daimyo (feudal lords). Nail head covers were usually cast in metal from molds, and the surface was then finished in varying techniques. Some of the decorative methods include engraving the design on the mold, which creates an embossed pattern on the metal; openwork; chiseling or engraving on the finished object; plating; lacquering and enameling. Decorative motifs for many centuries played a prominent role in both the religious and daily lives of the Japanese people. Architecture was embellished with these symbols, which were representative of both the tangibles of nature and the intangibles of the spirit. Birds, bats, turtles, bamboo and family crests were some of the popular subjects for nail head covers. (See examples of kugikakushi on page 181 of “Japanese Antiques” by Patricia Salmon.) Japanese metalwork was a sophisticated and complex craft, and the metal artist was highly esteemed. When swords were banned in 1871 by government edict, many metal craftsmen were forced into new outlets, and so the minor metal arts flourished, with one example being kugikakushi. Rarely seen or found, these unusual decorative nail head covers are interesting and lovely examples of early Japanese metalwork. They are sure to be conversation pieces. Condition is excellent. Dimensions: body is 3 ¼” wide, 2 ½” high; shaft is 1 ¾” from body to point. | ||||||||||||
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