Japanese Antiques

By Author: Rob Thomas
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Increasingly, individuals in the Western world are implementing the ornamental styles of Asian cultures, particularly in conventional Japanese homes; conventional Japanese homes are known for their simplicity and serenity - their 'zen-like' air and many individuals crave this type of air at minimum for their bedrooms if not throughout the whole home.
At the same time there are individuals that are fascinated with the Japanese culture and its antiques, and as such will pay huge amounts of money to own a authentic antique Japanese screen, woodblock print, doll, katana or any other piece they may happen to get.
There are several sites online which sell authentic Japanese antiques and will send them straight from Japan if required; in the event that you are interested in having an antique piece for yourself one may browse over a few of these websites for something you may want. There are dozens of Japanese antiques offered, the most well-know being woodblock prints, screens, lanterns, vases, scrolls, paintings, dolls, swords, ceramics and furniture pieces like tables, chairs chests, etc.
As antiques are just old, ...
... well kept pieces, it is inevitable that at one time or another they will have to be cleaned but if you wish to conserve the original beauty of an item, cleaning it may not be so easy since using the wrong cleaning agent or rubbing too vigorously may damage the item. Therefore here are a few tips on cleaning two antique pieces, swords and bronze vases.
When cleaning an antique sword, one will have oil, cloths, uchiko - powder to help with taking off the oil, and a clean cloth to apply clean oil to the blade. Start with disassembling the sword if you can, clean the blade to eliminate all dirt you can, sprinkle the blade with the uchiko and go on wiping until all the old oil and powder is removed, then go ahead and oil the blade using a clean cloth; be careful not to put fingerprints on the blade since this may cause the blade to rust.
Now here is how to clean antique bronze vases, chests, dishes, etc.; first you should realize that antique bronze pieces are not designed to be bright and sparkly, over years patina and oxidization happens and gives the piece its appearance and value so whenever cleaning bronze pieces, the goal is not to get them sparkly and new - as they never were, it is solely to take away dirt and dust without changing the original patterns and markings, and decreasing its value.
The only thing an individual will require for cleaning one's bronze pieces is mild soap, water, and soft cloths. Combine a little soap with water in a container; moisten the cloth in the soapy water and wipe the bronze item with it. Gently rinse the item with clean water and dry it right away to prevent it creating blemishes and compromising the patina markings.
Antiques will very quickly depreciate in value in the event that they are tarnished as such do not use anything except mild soap and water on your bronze pieces.
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