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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..
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.
Matchlock. Might contact the curator at the JM Davis Museum (Claremore, OK) for more definitive information about it. As I recall, they have a few oriental matchlocks on hand.
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.