Description
This gift is made in Japan. It is called the Takaoka Copper Crafts, which is a traditional craft in Japan. A famous Samurai’s helmet is designed on each one.
This Samurai helmet-shaped figurine is inspired by Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川 家康). Ieyasu was born in 1542 in Mikawa (三河, today’s Aichi prefecture). At that time, the world was in the Warring States period, and warlords whose names are still famous today were engaged in fierce battles in various places. In this situation, Ieyasu unified the nation and brought peace to the war-torn world that had continued from the Muromachi period (室町時代, 1336-1573) to the Azuchi-Momoyama period (安土桃山時代, 1568-1600). During the Edo period, almost no significant wars caught the eye.
Ieyasu was born to Matsudaira Hirotada (松平 広忠), the lord of Okazaki (岡崎) Castle in Mikawa Province, and his wife Odai-no Kata (於大の方). His childhood name was Takechiyo (竹千代). At that time, the Matsudaira family was sandwiched between two major powers: Imagawa Yoshimoto (今川 義元) of Suruga (駿河) and Oda Nobutaka (織田 信孝) of Owari (尾張). His father tried to offer Takechiyo as a hostage to show his loyalty to the Imagawa family. However, during the escort, Takechiyo was betrayed by a retainer and became a hostage of the Oda family. Later, when he was 8 years old, he became a hostage of the Imagawa family. In 1560, when he was 19 years old, the Okehazama-no Tatakai (桶狭間の戦い, Battle of Okehazama), which pitted the Imagawa family against the Oda family, occurred. The defeat of the Imagawa family in this battle led Motoyasu (元康, Ieyasu’s past name) to ally with Oda Nobunaga (織田 信長) in 1562. After Nobunaga was defeated at the Honnouji-no Hen (本能寺の変, the Honnouji Incident), Toyotomi Hideyoshi (豊臣 秀吉) took control of the country.
Hideyoshi ordered his sister to marry Ieyasu to avoid a hostile relationship with him, so Ieyasu served Hideyoshi until Hideyoshi died. After Hideyoshi passed away, Ieyasu fought the Sekigahara-no Tatakai (関ヶ原の戦い, Battle of Sekigahara) against his opponent Ishida Mitsunari (石田 三成) and won a stunning victory. After a long period of misfortune, Ieyasu finally became the Seii Taishōgun (征夷大将軍) and finally unified the country. He achieved the remarkable feat of starting the Edo Shogunate, which continued for about 260 years. He is one of the most famous Samurai among the many military commanders in Japan.
What is Takaoka Copper Crafts?
It is considered to be the root of Takaoka Douki (高岡銅器, Takaoka Copper Crafts) that the Kaga Maeda (加賀前田) family invited seven foundries to Takaoka (高岡) area in the early Edo period. At first, iron castings for agricultural machinery and other products were the mainstay, which grew to become Takaoka town’s primary industry. It started as hardware for daily necessities, but copper castings eventually began to be produced.
Copper casting is a material that could be used to create complex and delicate shapes compared to iron and other materials and has the advantage of being highly workable. In the late Edo period, works of art and Buddhist utensils began to be made that took advantage of the characteristics of copper. As the number of varieties increased, decorative techniques such as coloring, inlay, and metal engraving also developed, and the products were exhibited at the 1867 Paris Universal Exposition and received very high praise. After that, from the Meiji period to the Taisho period, innovations in manufacturing techniques occurred, and production increased dramatically, leading to the area being recognized as a significant producer of copperware. Copper also has excellent corrosion resistance and does not rot like iron even when exposed to wind and rain, so many bronze bells and swords excavated from ancient ruins have retained their original form and are more than 1,000 years old. Many of the pagoda-top metal objects and utensils of the temples that were preserved retain their beauty even today.
【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. Time of delivery is estimated as accurately as possible by the carrier but does not take into account any delays beyond our control such as by inclement weather, post office holiday seasons.
We offer Free International Shipping as long as we can ship your order by EMS. 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.
【Give the Tsuba as a special gift】
Are you looking for a special gift for a person who is interested in Japanese culture? We recommend you to give an antique Tsuba as a present for your significant other. Tsuba is an integral part of the Samurai sword, which was once a primary weapon for Samurai. Each Tsuba is a unique item and has a different design. We hope it would be a memorable gift. Now it is time for you to share the beauty of a piece of Samurai history with your family members or friends, for instance. Also, gift wrapping is available for Tsuba; it is for free. Here is an example of wrapping. For more information, please feel free to contact us. It is always our pleasure to serve you.
Would you like see some more Samjurai helmet figurine for sale? Please check the link below. We hope you can find your favorite one.
