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Updated: 29 Mar 2024

SOLD

Antique Menuki for Samurai Sword with NBTHK Hozon Certificate (M-23)

$363.66

Delivery Time: 5 – 14 DAYS
*Delivery may take longer, depending on countries or holiday seasons.

INCLUDED: Wooden box, NBTHK Hozon Certificate

Title: Kyo Kinko-style, Suisen Baika Zu

Signature: NO SIGNED
Age: Edo period
Material: Shakudou (赤銅, mixture of copper and gold)

(A)

Size Thickness Weight
1.2cm×4.0cm 0.7cm 6.0g

(B)

Size Thickness Weight
1.2cm×4.0cm 0.6cm 5.0g

You can enlarge all the photos to see the detail of the item.

Thank you for visiting our website. This Menuki was sold as each antique Japanese Menuki is one of a kind. However, we have various kinds of antique Japanese Menukis available. Our customer service will help you find your ideal Tsuba you will cherish for generations. Please feel free to contact us or check the list of Menukis. We will be more than happy to help you.

SOLD

SKU: M-23 Categories: ,

Title: Kyo Kinko-style, Suisen Baika Zu

Description
 This Menuki is made from the Shakudou (赤銅, alloy of copper and gold). It has often been used for making sword mountings because of its rollability, adhesiveness, ease of plating. This material creates elegant black color for works. The theme of this Menuki is the combination of flowers; the Suisen (水仙, narcissus), and the Baika (梅花, Japanese apricot blossom). The gold and silver coloring were applied to these plants.

 Japanese apricot blossoms begin to bloom in winter. It is the season that snow still covers trees, so people thought this flower tells the arrival of spring. Same as cherry blossom, it has been appreciated for a long time in Japan. People enjoy its adorable petal shape and scent, gracefully branched tree, and compose many poems. This flower symbolizes the power of perseverance and vitality as it comes out in the cold season. Narcissuses are also in bloom in winter. Therefore, people have thought this flower pattern represents longevity due to its toughness. In another theory, the narcissus was regarded as an auspicious flower. It is because of its Japanese name. As mentioned above, the narcissus is called 水仙 in Japanese. A view says its second letter has an auspicious meaning. That is why this plant motif was treated as a good omen.

 This Menuki is recognized by The Society for Preservation of Japanese Art Swords, which is known as NBTHK. According to the certificate, this Menuki was made by a Kyo Kinko (京金工) school’s maker. 

 *As this item is an antique, please check each photo and ensure its condition.

What is Menuki?
 Menuki is a kind of metal fitting of the Japanese sword, which was initially put into the handle’s hole. It covers Mekugi (nail) so that the blade of a sword will be fixed. Originally, Menuki was used to hold Mekugi, but they became separated over time. And then, Menuki had developed its practicality and beauty for the decoration of the Japanese sword.

 Menuki became more decorative than in early modern times. Since it had been attached under the Tsukamaki (the handle of the Japanese sword wrapped by thread), Menuki played an essential role in making it easier to grip the sword’s handle.

Why is it that the sword mounting was important for Samurai?
 The sword mountings of the Japanese sword have many kinds of decorations such as handguards (Tsuba), sword hilt (Menuki), pommel (Fuchi Kashira). The Japanese sword worked as a weapon and as an object to show who he was. For example, it shows their personalities and beliefs. You could say that it is like decorations for smartphones today. We recommend you zoom in on the pictures of the sword fittings. When you do so, you can see the skill of Japanese metal engraving techniques. They are mainly made of iron and copper with inlays of gold, silver, and bronze. When it comes to handguard (Tsuba), each one has a different outline and weight. These sword fittings that have lived with Japanese swords of the same age might be worth as much as the Japanese swords. They are inconspicuous parts of the Japanese sword. Nevertheless, if you are knowledgeable or particular about it, you will become a connoisseur of the Samurai.

A
B

Authentication Paper: NBTHK Hozon Certificate

 NBTHK, also known as Nihon Bijutsu Touken Hozon Kyokai (the Society for the Preservation of the Japan Art Sword), is one of the oldest Japanese sword appraising organizations in modern-day Japan. They authenticated the Menuki on Jun 28th in the 28th year of Heisei (2016). They appraised it as Hozon Tousougu, the Menuki worth preserving for Japanese society. The purchaser will receive this original certificate as well. We can also translate what is written into English and make a PDF file for your record if you request.


【About us】
 Samurai Museum is located in Tokyo, Japan, exhibiting antique artifacts related to the Samurai history. Samurai Museum Shop is the place for those who are interested in Japanese culture and craftsmanship. We deal with antique Samurai swords/armor, traditional crafts made in Japan and so on.

【Payment method】
 We accept payment through Stripe (Credit card), PayPal, Apple Pay or ChromePay, all of which are secure payment methods. Also, you don’t need to make an account on Stripe for the checkout. If you prefer other payment method, please contact us. You may either pay in JPY, USD, AUD, CAD, EUR, CHF or GBP. The price is set in Japanese Yen. Prices in other currencies are automatically calculated based on the latest exchange rate. 

【Shipping duration】
 We normally ship via EMS (Express Mail Service) provided by Japan Post. It usually takes at least 5-14 days to deliver the package after you place an order. We will use DHL instead for those who ordered from Canada or Australia as EMS temporarily stops shipping to these countries due to COVID-19. We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can ship your order by either EMS or DHL (Australia, Canada only). If you prefer other shipping carriers, please contact us.  

 We will inform you of the order’s tracking number via email. Please make sure you fill out your valid email address correctly. 

*Please keep in mind that due to the spread of COVID-19, there might be possible delays in delivery. If you like to make sure if EMS shipping is available to your country, please contact us.

【How to make sure the condition】
 Please keep in mind that what you are going to purchase is an antique item. We uploaded high resolution photos for you to check its condition thoroughly. If you like to see more photos with different angles, please feel free to contact us. We will be happy to send them to you so that you can make informed decision. 

 It is essential for us to know that you are happy with your choice of Menuki and we are prepared to use the best of our ability to serve you.

 

 Would you like see some more Menuki for sale? Please check the link below. We hope you can find your favorite Menuki.
https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/shop/product-category/decorations/menuki/

SOLD

Weight 500 g