Cleaning Shakudo plaques

[Melissa Scarani]

Good morning. I am new here. I worked in antique jewelry for 15 years and fell in love with Japanese mixed metal work. 

 

What I have is not a sword, but the knowledge here seems quite vast and I am hoping that you will be able to assist me. 

 

I purchased this (photo attached), I believe it may have been the sides of a box?? But the patina is not nice. I am really hoping to brighten it up and remove the discolorations from the edges. I have seen where Ford has recommended paint strippers and Rennaissance wax. Before I begin cleaning this I want to make sure this will be ok.  One item that we used to use a lot on the antique jewelry pieces was Hagerty's Silver foam, but I am hesitant to use it on this larger piece.

[Matsunoki]

Melissa

DON’T DO IT !!!!

The patina on your plaques looks totally original and largely it is exactly how the maker intended it to look except for maybe some slight tarnishing on the silver??? surrounds. Cleaning it (especially the multi patinated panels) will immensely devalue it (unless done by someone like @Ford Hallam) and will also look horrible. This is not intended as an insult to your experience in jewellery but Japanese metalwork is a whole different ballgame….

the patina is crucial and easy to destroy leaving you wishing you had never started. (Speaking from personal experiences many years ago…..which ended up with Ford to be fixed!)

[Brian]

Best to ask Ford himself. Let's hope he sees this and responds.

[1kinko]

Paint strippers usually contain acids which will absolutely strip the patina off the shakudo, copper, and shibuichi. Don’t even think about using paint strippers on Japanese alloys. Your plaques look just dirty and renaissance wax is used after they’ve been cleaned to protect that patina from normal oxidation. My guess is that Ford will soon chip in.

[Melissa Scarani]

@Matsunoki and @1kinkoThank you!! I appreciate any and all input! This is a wonderful group and I thank you very much for chiming in

[Matsunoki]

Looking a bit more at your plaques. I don’t think they are shakudo which is a very specific alloy. I believe they utilise a technique whereby much of the design or the individual design elements (birds, flowers etc) are “pressed out” in a copper alloy, hand finished and then multi patinated and plated/gilded to resemble the far more complex “true” mixed metal inlays. Ford will correct me I’m sure but this technique enabled cheaper and faster production at a time when the world was going nuts for good Japanese metalwork ie during the Meiji period. They are not fakes in any way…..just a different production method that was used at times by some quite famous studios eg Miyabe Atsuyoshi and others. The end result still looks good.

[DoTanuki yokai]

I think the picture is too blurry to say what technique was used. Maybe a few sharp closeups can help. 
 

I think it looks good as it is.

[Matsunoki]

Look at bottom panel. You can see where a butterfly was pinned on. Not true inlay. 

3 minutes ago, DoTanuki yokai said:

 

I think the picture is too blurry to say what technique was used. Maybe a few sharp closeups can help. 

 

 

[DoTanuki yokai]

I see it now, thanks. 
But I would still like to see how the bird is executed

[Matsunoki]

Hi Christian

It will be the same method I think. I’ve seen it many times on boxes, chargers, vases etc

Even some of the larger workshops used it as a fast way to produce perfectly good lookalikes at a fraction of the cost/effort. Many customers at that time could not tell the difference.

The bird is probably all one piece (and possibly filled with a pitch type substance) except for the legs. the various colours created by masking and plating.…..unless Ford brings me down in a ball of flames😊

All the best. Colin 

[Melissa Scarani]

I really appreciate all of the information everyone has provided me with. I am attaching some clearer photos.

[Melissa Scarani]

And another photo. Each plaque is approximately 7x5 inches.

[Matsunoki]

Hello again Melissa

Your extra images also suggest that the bird (and other details) are made from a single piece of (copper?) alloy that has been pressed or beaten from the reverse and then hand finished from the front. It can then be multi patinated to resemble “true” mixed metal inlay.  Sometimes if you tap them you can sense that they are hollow….they sound a bit “tinny” unless they have been filled with a pitch type material as I think I previously mentioned? All the elements are then affixed to the background plate usually using pins or sometimes bolts….these would be visible on the reverse if it is accessible. This is not unusual. As soon as any high quality (and expensive) Japanese Meiji period art became popular various workshops set about creating similar looking products but using much faster and cheaper techniques.

If you go onto Bonhams website and search for “Ozeki” you will marvel at the quality of the very best pieces. 
I hope this is not a great disappointment to you.

Regards. Colin

[Matsunoki]

Or have a look at this sale

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25151/ancient-skills-new-worlds-twenty-treasures-of-Japanese-metalwork-from-a-private-collection/

[DoTanuki yokai]

I have just realized that the double flower pairs are always the same…

[Matsunoki]

If you want to acquire “real metalwork” ie usually traditionally made and of good to superb quality look for the output of the Nogawa workshops. They made mostly small high quality boxes, vases, koro etc that still represent excellent value for money. The price range will vary depending on the item and the quantity and style of inlay but it will be genuine silver, gold, shibuichi, shakudo etc. eg-

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/25151/lot/7/nogawa-company-a-bronze-vase-with-a-pheasant-in-a-cherry-treemeiji-era-1868-1912-1890s/
https://www.bonhams.com/auction/24680/lot/487/an-inlaid-bronze-cylindrical-brushpot-by-the-nogawa-company-meiji-era-1868-1912-early-20th-century/

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/26734/lot/603/nogawa-company-late-19th-century-an-inlaid-bronze-vase-and-covermeiji-era-1868-1912-circa-1890/

[Melissa Scarani]

Thank you Colin @Matsunokifor ALL of the information! I love learning, especially when it is about something that I love so much.  The links that you sent me are fantastic and knowing the history and manufacturing differences is something I was not aware of.

I love the Japanese mixed metal pieces, this one I found for $250. I never thought it was super fine, so I am not disappointed at all. 

 

Is there a book that you can recommend so I can learn more?

 

One item that I am always looking for is the mixed metal chrysanthemum link chains. By chance, you are not aware of why these were made are you?  

 

Thank you again for all of your time, it is GREATLY appreciated!

Melissa

[Matsunoki]

5 minutes ago, Melissa Scarani said:

Is there a book that you can recommend so I can learn more?

Pleasure to help you. The finest books on the subject document the Nasser David Khalili collection. See this link. The books are expensive but other smaller volumes are available. Have a search on Ebay, Amazon etc. You might find the 2 big metalwork books at a sensible price. They are wonderful.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalili_Collection_of_Japanese_Art

Other publications worth trying to find are any of the exhibition catalogues produced by Malcolm Fairley Japanese Art and Barry Davies Japanese Art. Leading world dealers.  They sometimes crop up on eBay.

I once owned many of the items in the above books…..boy do I wish I had kept some of them!

Other sources are the sale catalogues (available online) from Bonhams who are the current leading Japanese Art Auctioneers

12 minutes ago, Melissa Scarani said:

One item that I am always looking for is the mixed metal chrysanthemum link chains. By chance, you are not aware of why these were made are you?  

I’m not exactly sure what you refer to…..do you mean these type of items?

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/elmwoods/catalogue-id-elmwoo10200/lot-9c6b5479-0332-4cbb-be63-af9c0128b148

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/mendip-auction-rooms/catalogue-id-srmen10188/lot-887c1b14-3b54-4804-b2bf-aebc011137e7
All the best.

Colin

 

[Matsunoki]

I just had a very quick look on eBay.com …..just put “Japanese metalwork” into “books” and hey presto…..take your pick.

[Melissa Scarani]

Thank you for the book recommendations. If you have never used it when shopping for a book I recommend trying https://www.bookfinder.com/

 

These are the chains that I love https://www.1stdibs.com/jewelry/necklaces/chain-necklaces/aesthetic-period-shakudo-chain-mixed-metals-54/id-j_17901322/ They have become extremely collectible in the past decade.

[Matsunoki]

2 minutes ago, Melissa Scarani said:

These are the chains that I love 

Sorry Melissa, I am not at all familiar with these items. Jewellery is “outside of scope” for me🙂. Apologies.