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14â âJuly|August 2012 Silver Magazine
â âapaneseâartâ isâ filledâwithâuniqueâcreations,âbeliefs,â creatures,â techniques,âandâperspectives.âSomeâofâ them,â
â â â âââparticularlyâ theâmythsâ andâ supernaturalâ creatures,âmayâhaveâ comeâ toâ Japanâ fromâotherâ culturesâ andâbeenâ
uniquelyâtransmutedâintoâJapaneseâconcepts.âButâsomeâartisticâandâtechnicalâskillsâbelongâtoâonlyâtheâJapanese.âOneâ
ofâtheseâisâtheâmetalâworkingâtechniquesâcreatedâbyâJapaneseâcraftsmenâduringâtheâtwoâhundredâyearsâbeforeâtheâ
openingâofâtheâcountryâbyâCommodoreâPerryâinâ1853.
Theâ200-year-oldâmetalâworkingâtechniquesâandâalloysâdevelopedâbyâtheâJapaneseâfoundâanâappreciativeâaudi-
enceâwhenâtheâcountryâbeganâtoâshowâitsâtraditionalâwaresâandâskillsâatâinternationalâexpositions.âTheâWesternâ
worldâwasâastoundedâbyâJapaneseâproductsâandâeagerlyâpurchasedâandâcollectedâthem.âSomeâWesternâcraftsmenâ
triedâtoâreplicateâJapaneseâmetalâworkingâartistry;âbutâmostâdidânotâhaveâtheâuniqueâsetâofâskills,âexperience,âorâtheâ
knowledgeâtoâbeâconsistentlyâsuccessful.â
HowâtheâJapaneseâusedâtheseâspecialâskillsâtoâmakeâsilver,âmixedâmetal,âandâinlaidâmatchâsafes,âaânon-tradi-
tional,âutilitarianâobject,âisâtheâsubjectâofâthisâarticle.
BackgroundElevenâ yearsâ afterâ theâ 1868â Meijiâ
Restorationâ inâ Japan,â theâgovernmentâbannedâ theâ wearingâ ofâ swordsâ (hai-torei).â Metalâ workingâ craftsmenâ whoâmadeâ ornamentalâ fittingsâ forâ swordsâthenâ lostâ theirâ traditionalâ livelihood.âButâaboutâthatâtime,âtheâMeijiâgovern-mentâdevelopedâanâeconomicâplanâthatâencouragedâ theâ exportationâ ofâ tradi-tionalâ Japaneseâcraftsâ toâ theâWestâviaâ
internationalâexpositionsâandâexhorta-tiveâslogans,âsuchâas,ââJapaneseâspirit,âWesternâthings,ââandââencourageâman-ufactureâandâpromoteâindustry.â
Thisâ governmentalâ initiativeâ re-sultedâ inâ opportunitiesâ forâ theâ or-namentalâ metalâ workersâ toâ earnâ anâincome.â Inâeffect,â thisâmeantâ thatâ theâparticularâ skillsâ forâ makingâ swordâornamentsâcouldânowâbeâusedâinânewâ
ways.â Oneâ ofâ thoseâ waysâ wasâ theâmakingâofâmatchâsafesâorâvestaâcasesâasâtheyâwereâcalledâinâEurope.âMatchâsafesâareâsmallâcases,âusuallyâmeasur-ingâ 2â 1/2â xâ 1â 1/2â xâ 3/8â inches,â whenârectangular.ââFiguralâmatchâsafesâvaryâinâsizeâfromâ1âtoâ4âinchesâinâheightâandâfromâ1âtoâ2âinchesâinâwidth.âTheâthick-nessâofâbothâkindsâisâalmostâalwaysâ3/8âinches.â Theyâ wereâ designedâ toâ holdâ
Fig. 1By Neil Shapiro
Japanese SilverMatchSafes
July|August 2012 Silver Magazineâ 15â
âstrikeâ anywhereâ match-es.ââTraditionally,â theâaver-ageâ Japaneseâ smokerâ usedâflintâ andâ tinderâ toâ createâ aâflameâ toâ igniteâ theirâ smok-ingâ paraphernalia.â â Withâtheâ encouragementâ ofâ theâMeijiâgovernment,âtheâskillsâofâ someâ traditionalâ metalâworkersâ wereâ redirectedâtowardâcraftingâbeautifullyâornamentedâ matchâ safesâforâtheâWesternâmarkets.PriorâtoâtheârestorationâofâtheâMeijiâgovernment,âtheâJapa-neseâ aristocracy,â throughâtheâ sixteenthâ -â nineteenthâcenturies,â experiencedâ aâgradualâdeclineâwithâaâcon-comitantâ riseâ ofâ theâ com-monâclass.âArtâinâeverydayâlifeâ beganâ toâ flourishâ andâtheâ joysâ ofâ practicalâ life,âwhichâ hadâ beenâ minimalâforâ theâ commoners,â prolif-erated.â Commonersâ forâtheâ firstâ timeâhadâaccessâtoâ embroidery,â paint-ing,âenamels,âandâmetal-workedâ objects,â particu-larlyâ thoseâ metalâ objectsâfashionedâfromâtheânewlyâdiscoveredâ silverâ andâgoldâfields.âAnâageâofâcolorâandâ brightnessâ blossomedâandâbyâ1876,âtheâtraditionalâhand-craftingâ metalâ workersâ wereâincorporatingâ theseâ colorfulâ metalâworkingâ techniquesâ intoâ objectsâ forâsaleâ andâ displayâ atâ internationalâ ex-positions,âincludingâobjectsâneverâbe-foreâmadeâforâtheâJapaneseâpublic,âlikeâmatchâsafes.âTheirâbasicâmetalâworkingâ
techniquesâ wereâ cast-ing,â hammering,â inlay,âandâchasing.
Some Metals and Techniques Used by the Japanese to Make Match Safes
Theâ metalsâ mostâcommonlyâusedâbyâJap-aneseâ craftsmanâ wereâgold,âsilver,âcopper,âtin,â
andâiron.âEachâmetalâhasâdistinctiveâ character-
isticsâ ofâ textureâ andâcolorâ andâ whenâ theâcraftsmenâ mixedâsomeâ ofâ theseâ met-alsâ togetherâ toâ formâalloys,â theyâ cre-atedâalloysâ thatâwereâ
uniquelyâ Japanese.â AâJapaneseâ metalsmithâsâ
workâwasâgroundedâinâaâreverenceâ forâ theânatu-
ralâcyclesâofânature,âitsâeverâchangingâbeauty,âandâaâtypeâofâelegantâsimplici-ty.âManyâofâtheâalloysâandâpatinasâthatâtheâJapaneseâmetalsmithsâdevised,âaf-terâhundredsâofâyearsâofâexperimenta-tionâandâtradition,âareâtoâbeâfoundâonâMeijiâeraâmatchâsafes.
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
AlloysTheâtwoâmostâimportantâalloysâforâ
matchâsafeâcollectorsâareâshakudoâandâshibuichi. Shakudoâisâanâalloyâofâcopperâandâ pureâ goldâ thatâ hasâ aâ purplish-blackâ glossyâ surface,â whichâ mayâ beâiridescent.âShibuichiâisâanâalloyâofâ75%âcopperâandâ25%âsilverâthatâturnsâgreyâorâduskyâsilverâwhenâpatinated.âTheseâalloysâareâoftenâcombinedâwithâsilverâinlaysâ orâ otherâ silverâ ornamentationâasâillustratedâinâFigureâ1.
ZoganMatchâsafesâareâmadeâwithâaâvari-
etyâ ofâ metalâ workingâ techniquesâ butâtheâ mostâ excitingâ forâ collectorsâ isâ zo-ganâ (inlay).â Inlaidâ matchâ safesâ haveârelativelyâsoftâmetalsâsuchâasâgoldâandâsilverâembeddedâintoâaâharderâgroundâmadeâ ofâ materialsâ likeâ copper,â iron,âbrass,âshakudo,âorâshibuichi.âThereâareâaânumberâofâtechniquesâincluding:ââlineâinlay,âflatâ inlay,âhighâreliefâ inlay,âpol-ishedâ outâ inlay,â andâ threadâ inlay.â Inâtextileâ imprintâ inlayâ (nunome-zogan),âthinâsheetsâofâgold,âsilver,âorâleadâareâhammeredâintoâaâ fineâmesh-likeâgridâengravedâontoâtheâsurfaceâofâtheâmetalâgroundâ asâ shownâ onâ theâ matchâ safeâinâFigureâ2.âSomeâexpertsâreferâtoâthisâtypeâofâ techniqueâasâ Japaneseâdama-scene.â
DamasceneJapaneseâ damasceneâ isâ anotherâ
metalâ workingâ technique.â Itsâ designâmotifsâ areâ differentâ fromâ Spanishâdamasceneâalthoughâsomeâofâtheâtech-niquesâ shareâ aâ commonâ originâ andâname.âAâcontemporaryâdescriptionâofâhowâ theâ damasceneâ artisanâ worksâ isâprovidedâbyâauthorâFredericâDeâGarisâ
16â âJuly|August 2012 Silver Magazine
inâhisâbookâTheir Japan:1
â Aâ design,â firstâ drawnâ onâ aâpieceâofâtissueâpaper,âisâplacedâoverâ theâ metalâ surfaceâ andâtracedâ withâ aâ fineâ chiselâ intoâtheâmetalâââthenâremoved.âTheâoutlinesâthusâcutâareâundercutâfourâtimesâcrosswiseâandâfourâtimesâ diagonallyâ (hatched)âtoâ produceâ somethingâ likeâ aâsilkenâtexture.âIntoâtheseâmin-uteâ grooves,â goldâ andâ silverâthreadsâalmostâasâfineâasâcob-websâ areâ hammered,â andâ aâdeer-hornâ hammerâ isâ usedâ toâsmoothâ theâ surfaceâ andâ tampâdownâroughâthreadâedges.âTheâarticleâisâthenâplacedâinâaâcabi-netâ andâ madeâ toâ corrodeâ byâtheâ useâ ofâ nitrateâ acid,â whichâlaterâisâremovedâwithâhotâsodaâwater.âWhenâdry,âitâisâwashedâtwiceâinâweakâsodaâwaterâandâbakedâoverâaâfire.âEightâorânineâtimesâaâdayâforâaâperiodâofâfiveâdaysâinâsummerâandâsevenâinâwinter,â theâ articleâ isâ washedâandâbakedâuntilâallâtheârustâinâtheâ steelâ hasâ beenâ conductedâout.â Theâ cleanâ surfaceâ isâ thenâdippedâ intoâ thickâ red-clayâmudâ andâ bakedâ againâ overâ aâhotâfireâââthisâprocessâbeingâre-peatedâfromâ50âtoâ100âtimes.â Theâ nextâ stepâ isâ toâ coatâ theâsurfaceâ withâ powderedâ char-coalâandâoil,âbake,âandârepeatâ10â toâ 20â times,â addingâ moreâcharcoalâandâoilâ eachâ time.âAâpieceâ ofâ cryptomeriaâ woodâisâ usedâ toâ cleanâ offâ theâ blackâpowder,âandâaâsmallâsteelârodâ
toârunâtheâsurfaceâtoâaâpolish.âTheâlastâstepâisâtoâaddâanyânec-essaryâ carvings.â Oftenâ theseâareâ monogramsâ orâ handwrit-tenâ namesâ ofâ purchasers,â ifâdesired.âToâretainâtheâoriginalâpolish,â theâ articleâ shouldâ beârubbedâ onceâ aâ monthâ withâ aâsoftâclothâdippedâinâoliveâoil.
Theâ secretâ ofâ theâ finestâ damasceneâworkâis,âregardlessâofâtheâdesign,âhav-ingâtheâbottomâofâtheâinlayâwiderâthanâtheâsurface;âthisâcreatesâaâresistanceâtoâshockâandâelasticityâ(Figureâ3).
Mokume GaneThereâ areâ manyâ Japaneseâ metalâ
workingâ termsâ thatâ areâ specificâ toâtheirâ uniquelyâ Japaneseâ techniques.âOneâ thatâ isâ highlyâ valuedâ byâ matchâsafeâ collectors,â asâ itâ appearsâ inâ noâotherâcountriesââmatchâsafeâoutput,âisâmokume gane.2
Mokume ganeâ isâ aâ techniqueâ inâwhichâmultipleâlayersâofâdifferentâmet-alsâ areâ solderedâ togetherâ faceâ toâ faceâandâflattenedâbyâhammeringâtoâformâaâbillet.âSlicesâareâthenâtakenâacrossâtheâ
endâgrainâandâbeatenâflatâtoâproduceâaâpolychromeâ marbleizedâ ground.â Theâtermâ translatesâ toâ âwoodâ grainââ andâthatâisâexactlyâwhatâmokume ganeâlooksâlikeâ (Figureâ 4).â Theâ greaterâ theâ num-berâ ofâ colorsâ inâ theâ finish,â theâ moreâtheâmatchâsafeâisâvalued.â
Katabori Kataboriâ isâ aâ typeâ ofâ Japaneseâ en-
gravingâorâchiselingâwhichâimitatesâaâpainterâsâbrushâstrokeâinâthatâitâhasâanâunevennessâofâwidthâandâdepthâ(Fig-ureâ 5).â Keboriâ isâ anotherâ typeâ ofâ en-gravingâwhereâtheâengravedâlinesâareâusuallyâthinnerâandâofâuniformâdepthâandâwidth.
Traditionally,â theâ kataboriâ artistâperformsâeachâstrokeâ inâaâsingleâmo-tionâofâtheâburinâ(theâengravingâtool).âThereâ isânoâ re-cutting,âextendingâ theâlineâorâdeepeningâtheâline;âtheâfirstâcutâproducesâtheâgradualâorâabruptâswell-ingâofâtheâline.â
Silver and Enamel Theâ Japaneseâ haveâ twentyâ
differentâ kindsâ ofâ enamelâ work.âSomeâ ofâ theirâ techniquesâ areâuniqueâtoâtheâJapaneseâandâsomeâvarietiesâ originallyâ cameâ fromâotherâcultures.
Encrustedâenamelâworkâhasâaâhighâreliefâwithâtheâirregularâsur-facesâ coveredâ withâ enamelâ (seeâFiguresâ6-8).
Patination Japaneseâ silverâ andâ non-silverâ
matchâsafesâwereâfrequentlyâpatinatedâforâ aestheticâ andâ practicalâ reasons.ââPatinationâ isâ theâ lastâ stageâ inâ metalâworkâproduction.âItâisâaâcrucialâprocessâ
Fig. 6 Standard cloisonné work. All photography by George Gruel ([email protected]).
July|August 2012 Silver Magazineâ 17â
applicationâ ofâ anâ oxidiz-ingâ compound.â â Thisâ isâthenâfollowedâbyâheating,âcleaning,â polishing,â andâsealingâ theâ ironâ withâ aâwaxâorâlacquer.
Whenâ matchâ safesâ areâmadeâofânon-ferrousâmet-als,âe.g.âsilver,âtheâcomplet-edâ workâ mayâ beâ soakedâinâ aâ solutionâ ofâ verdigrisâ(variousâacids)âmixedâwithâcopperâsulfateâandâheated.âOnceâtheâdesiredâcolorâhasâ
beenâ obtained,â theâ matchâ safeâ isâ re-movedâ fromâ theâ patinatingâ solution,ârinsed,âdried,âandâthenâprotectedâbyâaâ
forâtheâfinalâappearanceâofâaâmatchâsafe.âPatinationâisâes-sentiallyâaâmatterâofâoxidiz-ingâ theâ metalâ surface.â Onceâtheâ desiredâ effectâ hasâ beenâachieved,â theâ matchâ safeâ isâcoveredâwithâwaxâorâlacquerâtoâpreventâfurtherâoxidationâandâtoâstabilizeâtheâfinalâcol-orâ(Figureâ9).
Thereâ areâ manyâ patina-tionâ techniquesâ andâ someâhaveâ beenâ passedâ downâ asâfamilyâorâguildâsecrets.âOneâtechnique,â forâ anâ ironâ bodiedâ matchâsafe,â involvesâ theâ intentionalâ corro-sionâ ofâ theâ castâ ironâ surfaceâ byâ theâ
Fig. 7 An example of wireless cloisonné.
coveringâofâtreatedâinsectâwax.âNotedâEnglishâdesignerâChristopherâ
Dresser,âinâhisâdiscussionâofâJapaneseâmetalworkâwhichâheâ regardedâasâ theâmostâperfectâeverâproduced,âcitedâtheâextraordinaryâ colorâ harmoniesâ thatâwereâsaidâtoâhaveâbeenâunequaledâinâtheâWest.3
Theâ colorsâ producedâ byâ theâ Japa-neseâ metalâ workersâ notâ onlyâ dem-onstratedâ theirâ acuteâ aestheticâ sensi-bilitiesâ butâ alsoâ showcasedâ theirâ ex-traordinaryâmetallurgicalâknowledge.âTheseâskillsâareâevidentâinâtheirâmatchâsafeâoutput.All the match safes are from private collections in Japan, the United States, and England.
Fig. 9
Fig. 8
Fig. 8a
Notes1.â Fredericâ Deâ Garis,â Their Japanâ(Bentendori,â Yokahama:â â YoshikawaâPublishing,â1936),â95.
2.âSomeâmanufacturersâofâmatchâsafes,âe.g.â Gorhamâ Mfg.â Companyâ andâ Tif-fanyâ&âCo.âinâtheâUSA,âmadeâmokume ganeâtypeâmatchâsafesâbutâdidânotâuseâtheâJapaneseâtechniquesânorâdidâtheyâmanageâtoâachieveâasâmanyâcolorâvari-ationsâinâtheirâfinalâproduct.
3.â Christopherâ Dresser,â Japan: Its Ar-chitecture, Art, and Art Manufacturesâ(London,â1882).â
Neil Shapiroâhasâwrittenâtwoâbooksâandâmanyâarticlesâaboutâmatchâsafes.âRecently,âheâfinishedâaâbookâaboutâJapaneseâmatchâsafes.âHeâisâaâmemberâofâtheâInternationalâMatchâSafeâAssociationâandâcanâbeâreachedâatâ[email protected].