The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-05-10
JAPANESE BRONzES IN THE
NATIONAL MUSEUM
By Martha l.. Schneider.

Inc ar OF casting DrOnZ6 mas Doeu
practised by almost all nations from
very early times. Although Japan
excels in the founders art, this art has
much less antiquity then that of other
countries.
No remains of any metal casting,
even of weapons of defense, have been
fonnd there approaching in age those
of early Bronze periods in Europe.
Arrow heads and sword guaeds are the
most ancient casting of Japan. Many
claim that the bronze used by the
Japanese in early times was either OF
Chinese or Korean origin; and that
bronze composed of Japanese ore, was
not much used earlier then the seventh
century, A. d. 1t was, however, in the
Tokugawa period (1603-1868) during
which Japan was ruled in the name OF
the Emperors by Shoguns of the
Yokugawa family that bronze making
received its greatest impetus, and some
of the finest bronze ever made in Japan
were produced, not more then thirty
years ago under the leadership of two
brothers, Oshima Katsujiro, and
Oshima Yasutaro. This was too deli
cate and costly for the market, and the
foreigners being satisfied with less
artistic and beautiful ware, the world
was soon flooded with cheaper imita'
tons, such as can be seen in the SO
called Oriental shop.
There are five kinds of standard
bronze; Karakane, made of copper, tin
and lead.
Shakudo, made of copper, silver add
gold. Shibuchi, containing five to
| fifty per cent of silver to copper.
Shirichu (brass) from twenty-five
per cent of zinc to copper, and Seido
composed of copper, lead and tin.
The quality of the bronze is deter
mined by the amount of alloys used.
and much of the excellence of the
japanese bronze is due to the pro.
portions of lead.
The chief characters on which the
value of the Japanese copper-tin-lead
alloys as art-bronzes depend maybe
briefly stated as follows:
l Low melting point.
Great fuidity when melted when
compared with the sluggishness Of
cOnner-tin brOnZes.
Capability of receiving sharp
impressions of the mold.
Their contraction on qualification
is not excessive.
Their peculiar smooth surface.
The readiness with which they ac'
quire rich patinas of many tints when
suitably treated.
A brief description of casting bronze
is as follows:
l The material used in the pre-
paration of the molds are vegetable
substances; beeswax ,'resin, clay, river
sand, chopped rice straw and rice
husks.
2 The core, or piece around which
the metal is to be poured, is generally
solid, when small pieces are to be
made; and, in other cases, hollow
The core is opened either at one OF
both ends. When the core has been
completed and dried, the object is
modelled upon it in wax of the proper
composition. The wax model is then
coated with successive thin layers Of
fire-clay applied with brush, unit
the crust is thick enough to allow
coarser clay-layers to be applied; this
being necessary in order to give the
desired strength to the mold. The
mold is then dried very slowly, the
core removed, and the wax melted ou
by means of a charcoal fire.
8 The mold now being ready fol
the operation of casting, the molter
bronze is poured from ladles-in small
castings, from copola-furnaces ir
large-into the mold openings. This
is kept up until the mold is filled, anG
during its continuance, finely powder
ed rice bran is sprinkled on the meta
as it flows from the ladle or copola
where it runs first into a receptacle
lined with fire-clay, and from this
through an aperture in the bottom in
to the mold.
The collection of Japanese bronzes
in the National Museum is not noteC
for its ancient or valuable qualities
but tits, nevertheless, very interesting
and we'll worthy the attention of the
student and the lover OF the beautiful
A slight understanding of the man
ners and customs of the Japanese, and
a glimpse into their mythology is
necessary to fully appreciate theil
objects of art, and this knowledge i'm.
parts a picturesque beauty to what
otherwise, too often, seems only gro.
tesque.
| Take for instance the "Koro," OF
incense burner, an object of art most
numerously to be found in all collec'