A wonderful pair of novelty, Japanese, 'shakudo' cufflinks set in 14 karat yellow gold. The central components of the cufflinks are likely to have been repurposed from something larger and date to the tail end of the 19th or early 20th century. They have been fashioned into cufflinks with the addition of 14 karat yellow gold settings, likely some time during the 1970s. Shakudo is a Japanese alloy of copper and gold which often has a darkened blue patina. The production of shakudo was seen mostly in the late 19th and early 20th century with there being several examples of Western jewellers incorporating elements of shakudo into brooches, earrings and bracelets. The pair feature sprung mechanisms which are both working well and are secure. Such an unusual pair of cufflinks which are undoubtedly one of a kind and very functional.
Marked - '14K' for gold purity on later cufflink mechanism
Measures - 2.7cm W x 1.7cm H (shakudo plaque)
Total weight of pair - 11.35 grams (pair)