Yokohama silver

[emead]

My wife has a silver thing. I have been looking into period fine silver menuki and other silver and mixed metal (shakudo, mokume, Shibuichi) koshirae -- for martial -- um, marital -- harmony. She has a piece which looks to be a bit of Yokohama silver (Meiji) which gained some good reputation for export serving ware.

 

It occurred to me that this maker was likely earlier a maker of period koshirae fittings before the sword ban. So I wanted to chase down the maker(s).

 

We have a mark, (likely the exporter's/importer's mark, but it's a start) :

 

 

And for those interested in the workmanship, here are examples (you'll see why I want to find info on the source.) (It is sugar tongs, so this is technically OT):

 

Thanks in advance.

 

(Look at the gold worked into the center of the blossom and the bird's eye's)

 

[John A Stuart]

Hi emead, Japanese silver during the Meiji period would be hallmarked 'jungin' (1868 to 1912) in lozenge with kanji. In 1928 and 1954 laws were enacted to standardise silver in a decimal system. Look for .950. Marked 'sterling' may be occupation era exports. I have some hallmared 'sterling' by T. Muto, a Tokyo silversmith. There were many shops and SM may need an expert in the field to track. John

[Bungo]

wharever it is, the workmanship is very nice.

Sure better than the Yokohama export tsuba.

 

Milt

[Bugyotsuji]

This is a helpful thread. I can now place most of my Kisseru more accurately with the knowlege of the silver markings and dates.

 

My friend the Shirogane-shi keeps telling me how they do not like to work with 925 Sterling silver on their Habaki. Too hard, I think he was saying. Only pure silver will do, etc., ...

[John A Stuart]

Interesting Piers, as, Meiji silver assayed at .925 standard. the later standard became .950. John

[Bugyotsuji]

Interesting Piers, as, Meiji silver assayed at .925 standard. the later standard became .950. John

 

... and then went back to today's 925 again? Hmmm.... must ask him about that!

[John A Stuart]

Hi Piers, Just to wrap up this thread, sterling in Japan by international convention and Japanese law must be .925 at the minimum. It can be higher and .990 and above being 'Fine'. In Japan the hallmarking of objects made of precious metals was introduced in 1928 by the ministerial decree No 12 of 29 June. It was revised on 18 May, 1954.

The permitted purity is shown in thousandths in the following values: 1000, 950, 925, 900 and 800/1000. .900 and .800 are not sterling. In the pic below of a modern mark you will see the makers mark, control mark and hallmark. This one is 'Fine'. John

[Bugyotsuji]

Very interesting. So the Brits as usual go with the absolute minimum! Thanks John for the enlightenment. I'd like to say we live and learn, but at my age...