Japanese metalwork is the tradition of working bronze, iron, copper, silver, gold and special alloys in Japan, admired worldwide for its technical mastery and sophisticated surface effects. Japanese metalworkers developed unique alloys such as shakudo, a copper and gold alloy patinated to a blue-black, and shibuichi, a copper and silver alloy with a soft grey tone.
For centuries much of the finest work was devoted to sword fittings, including tsuba guards, menuki and kozuka, decorated with inlay, carving and contrasting metals. After the samurai were forbidden to wear swords in public in the 1870s, many skilled craftsmen turned to making vases, incense burners, boxes and sculptures, often for export and for international exhibitions. Meiji-period bronzes of animals, birds and figures, and vases with elaborate mixed-metal inlay of flowers and landscapes, are now highly regarded. Iron objects with gold and silver damascene decoration, as made in Kyoto, were also popular. Collectors look for fine detail, quality casting, original patination and signatures, which are typically cast or engraved on the base. Over-cleaning can destroy delicate patinas, so surfaces should be handled and conserved with care.
